Trifecta
by Nature9000
Summary: Hearing of Nora's most recent escape, Freddie returns home with fresh doubts on his mind. On a hunch he decides to investigate the possibility of a conspiracy, despite the pleas of those around him to let it go. The deeper in he goes, however, the more he risks himself and those he cares for. What surprises are in store, and what will happen should he discover the truth?
1. Conspiracy Theorist

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N: So I wasn't actually going to write this, but recently dipping my feet back into the fandom has made this idea flare up. It's inspired by the recent psycho episode of Sam & Cat, and a few things that seemed off about what Nora wound up doing.

Also on a SIDE-NOTE, this was going to be a oneshot, but as I separated it into parts it developed into a little more than that. So, it's now a short story. Enjoy!

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Chapter 1 (Conspiracy Theorist)

"Yes, for the last time, I'm doing just fine." Sam's eyes rolled as Freddie studied her closely on the Skype camera screen. He was seated on his bed with his laptop resting on his knees. "The psycho bitch is in jail, why are you worrying?"

"Just concerned about you." His eyebrows sank inwards as Sam's shoulders rose up. "Besides the way you explained what happened seems a little off. That's all. I mean, Nora's after us for revenge-yet she goes to Gibby and gets your address from him? He's the whole reason her first plot failed!" Not to mention the fact that Nevel had all but led them to Nora, even with his level of genius it didn't make any sense that he would pinpoint her down to one out of three homes. "I'm just saying, before my dad died-"

"Freddie, relax. Nora's in prison, and hell, Gibby's a friend. Right? The only thing I'm shocked by is that she didn't go after you."

"You know Mom and I flew in to New York that week to visit her brother. Nora couldn't have found me." Sam was laying on her stomach, her feet were up in the air behind her and her head was perched on her left hand. The reflection in her eyes revealed a web browser. "I just don't know why when Gibby was the closest one, she went after you."

"Wouldn't you go after the difficult one first?" She lowered her hand and moved her eyes to the corner of her screen, where his video box would be located. "Freddie, I know you like to investigate everything, but you're not a detective. Carly and I are safe, Cat's safe, Dice is safe. Quit making Nora's insanity into something that it isn't."

She was referring to his father, who passed away when he was a young boy. John Benson had been a private detective, and Freddie grew up loving to imitate him. Used to, he believed he was honoring his father's memory, but in time he figured it as his still being attached to him.

He stopped and focused his time and energy on studies and technology, a good distraction, but in the back of his mind he was always analyzing every little thing. This usually got on both Carly's and Sam's nerves.

"Fine Sam, I won't worry about it anymore. You say you're safe, and that's all that matters." He smiled at her and watched her feet gently sway through the air. "Hey Sam?" Her eyes drifted up to the light on her camera and she raised her eyebrows while curling her fingers over the keys on her laptop. "I miss you."

"Freddie." Her eyelids closed over her eyes and the corners of her lips fell. His heartbeat skipped. He was aware she didn't like ending the conversations like this, especially since he was part of the reason she was gone.

Her feet moved back onto the bed and her eyes opened halfway. She curled her lips into a tiny smile. "Yeah, I miss you too." His eyebrows rose and his body froze with shock. "I appreciate the concern." There was no indication that she still felt anything for him, or if there was, she was skilled at hiding it. Granted, keeping things inside had always been a specialty of hers. It never had been easy to read her, even when they dated. "Have you talked to Carly lately?"

"No." He lowered his shoulders and shook his head. "She doesn't talk to me much anymore. Not that I blame her." It had been Sam he thought would stop talking to him, his friends in Seattle chided him rather harshly when he dumped her and started going after Carly soon after-leading to a big fight with Sam when the girl left. "I think I'm going to go ahead and get some sleep."

Sam looked away from her computer momentarily and leaned to the right. "Same here, Cat just came in to go to sleep, so I'd better shut things down." Sam's hand moved up to the top of her laptop and her eyes turned to the computer with a look of seriousness in them. "You're going to stop worrying about Nora?"

"I haven't been worrying about her." He smirked and Sam rolled her eyes while flashing a smile. "But yeah you can take care of yourself, you're a grown woman. I'm not going to stop worrying about you anytime soon though, no."

"Of course not. Goodnight, Freddie."

"Goodnight Sam." Her camera flickered off and Freddie slowly leaned back into the pillow behind him. His chest sank inwards and he turned his eyes towards the sky. His stomach twisted as his thoughts swirled about like a violent storm. "Maybe she's right. Nora's back in prison, adult age so she's likely in maximum security. There's nothing to worry about..."

Freddie shut down his laptop and set it beside the end table. As he curled his fingers around the cord attached to his lamp, his eyes drifted towards the framed photo of Sam resting beside it. He furrowed his brow and shut off the light.

"Just don't know why I can't shake this feeling that something's not right." He pulled the blanket up and rolled onto his side, then muttered as he drifted off to sleep.

"Ready the prisoner for transport!" Nora lifted her head at the metallic sound of a nearby door slamming. "Remember the prisoner is dangerous." A large female guard walked to her holding cell and reached in, grabbing her shoulder. She winced as the woman's acrylic nails dug into her.

"A little less pain, please. I can still get an attorney for cruel and unusual punishment." The guard yanked her forward and grabbed her handcuffed writs in front of her. "So. Finally decided it's time to move me to the max? Maybe it's a good idea." A wrinkle formed on her forehead and the right corner of her upper lip curled into a toothy smirk. "I'm just a weak little girl, right? Maximum is too hard for me."

"Shut your mouth!" Remarked the burly guard.

"Rude." She rolled her head to the right and narrowed her eyes. "I'm just having a little friendly chat." The woman let out a grunt and pushed her from behind. She looked down to her cuffs and pulled her wrists apart some, wincing as the metal rings dug into her skin. "These are cutting into me, they hurt."

"Deal with it."

"If you could loosen them just a smidge, that would be nice."

"Who do you think I am?"

"Eh, it was worth a shot." Another guard opened the door and Nora sighed at the car in front of them. It resembled a utility van with two doors in the back, and was bathed in the neon glow of the moon. "Just more meat for the fire, I suppose."

She threw her eyes to the ground and her heart swelled with delight at the manhole directly beneath the vehicle. "That's a good song, isn't it?" She turned her head up at the woman. "Bill Joel sings it, surely you've heard?" The woman's nostrils expanded and she reached forward, opening the doors to the van.

"Please stop talking."

"Would you rather I sing for you?" She peered into the dark box and studied a circular metal plate in the center. Her fingers bounced as the woman helped her into the back. "Little rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac, Sputnik, Chou-en-lai, Bridge on the River Kwai. Lebanon, Charles deGaulle, California baseball." She took a deep breath as her guard climbed in behind her and growled. "Starkweather, Homicide, Children of Thalidomide…"

The woman sat at the edge of a dark shadow and glared as the doors slammed shut. The only light was what spilled through the rectangular slits where the doors were. Nora took a deep breath and moved to the chorus. "We didn't start the fire. It was always burning since the world's been turning. We didn't start the fire, no we didn't light it but we tried to fight it."

The engine started up and Nora felt a sharp sensation shoot through her as the car jolted forward. The plate in the center jumped and the woman turned her eyes down with shock. "What was that?" She paused and spread her lips into a wide grin as the guard slowly pushed the plate aside, revealing a large hole in its place.

"Oh my goodness, it looks like there's a defect in your car." The guard's eyes darted up and she moved her hand slowly to the radio on her belt. Two dark gloved hands reached out from the shadows behind the woman. The right arm reached around the woman's face, covering up her jaw while the left moved around her eyes. "Who's there!" Her shout was muffled under the muscular arms.

"Say goodnight, Gracie." In an instant the arms twisted the guard's head, snapping her neck. As the woman fell to the side, the figure moved out of the shadows. He had broad shoulders and a heavy build hidden beneath a black sweater and black jeans. His blue eyes were the only things peering from beneath the cover of a dark ski mask. "Oh good, now if you don't mind reaching into her pocket and grabbing her keys. Do something about these damned cuffs."

The man did as instructed and Nora breathed a heavy sigh of relief as her metal binds fell off her. While rubbing her right wrist, she turned her eyes to the figure. "Brace yourself. We're going for a little ride."

The car halted abruptly and Nora's body bounced. "Pity they had to drive past a construction site, am I right?" The man huffed and Nora leaned back, sighing as her body started to feel weightless.

After several seconds the car shook once more. The doors opened up and another man dressed in a ski mask, sweater, and pants signaled for them to exit. Stepping out, she took sight of her surroundings. They'd been picked up by a crane with a large magnet outside a junkyard, a preplanned route that her hacker managed to program into the driver's GPS.

"I do hope the driver's out of commission, I don't want any confrontation. We have some unfinished work to attend to, boys."

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So I've got most of this already written, it's a short story but a good one. I'm taking extreme care to write this well, and I hope you enjoy it. It's investigative, kind of drawn in by old classic detective movies, haha. "Watching the Detectives" by Elvis Costello fits this tale-enjoy.


	2. Depraved Minds

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N: Because it was originally a oneshot, this was part 2. I'll give it to you so you can gain an idea of the investigative portion.

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Chapter 2 (Depraved Minds)

Freddie walked out of his bedroom and found his mother lounging on the couch, her eyes were half lidded and her television held a dull glow as the morning news played. "How was graveyard shift at the hospital, Mom?" He grabbed the remote and flipped off the television, causing Marissa's eyes to shoot open.

"What? I was watching that." She shook her head and pat her cheek multiple times.

"Let's go ahead and get you to bed." He didn't have to take care of her, but they were all each other had. "I've got some stuff to do today, if you don't mind." She sat upright and moved her eyes towards him and a deep frown grew on her face.

"What are your plans, Freddie?"

"Oh you know, just hanging with Gibby for a bit, then heading over to the Groovy Smoothie." He did want to ask Gibby what happened with Nora when she ended up finding him, they really hadn't discussed it. The man might not have ever been too bright, but he was no idiot, and only an idiot would have given Nora Sam's direct address in LA. "Now come on, let's get you to rest."

Marissa stood up and yawned loudly, then followed up with a groan. "I wish I could choose my hours, all this working is driving me insane." He chuckled softly and guided her to her bedroom. Contrary to what she may have felt, he found it beneficial that she was working the graveyard shift at the hospital, it got her out of his hair for a while.

"Yeah well, maybe they'll loosen up on the hours a bit. Anyway, I need to hit the gym later as well. Got to work the arms today."

"My son, growing up to be a man." She smiled at him and walked at a slow pace to her bed. Her eyes were puffy and red from exhaustion, and her hair seemed to conceal whatever pride was in her dull eyes. "Just like your father. He'd be proud of you."

"Thanks mom."

At the Groovy Smoothie, Freddie sat across from Gibby and his newest arm candy. He watched uncomfortably as Gibby put his arm around the blonde's shoulders and ordered her to cuddle against him. "Ah that's better," Gibby said as he squeezed the girl and looked to Freddie. "We really need to find another hangout spot, the smoothie shop's getting a little old."

"It's sentimental." Freddie leaned back and lifted his drink to his lips. To his amazement, Gibby picked up his drink and handed it to the girl while telling her to get him a refill. The sight sickened him, but part of him was used to seeing his friend act in this manner. "Hey Gibby?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you so controlling with women?" Gibby's eyebrow rose and he hunched forward slightly while folding his hands on the table. There was a flicker of insanity in his eyes, but a frightening as it was, it was a fleeting sense. "Ever since, what was it junior high, you've had this thing about being controlling and forcing them to be submissive." Not to mention, most of the women were blonde.

"It's just the way it is, Freddie."

"And why blonde? I mean, I guess if you're attracted to blondes that's one thing-"

"Some blondes are easier to control." Gibby leaned back and lifted his hand, flicking out a finger as he counted off his points. "They're either _easy_, or they're pleasantly oblivious to anything around them." Freddie's stomach twisted some more and his hand moved down to his abdomen. "They also will do anything to make you happy, so I use that to my advantage."

"I guess." He swallowed a burning lump in his throat and shook his head. "Sam's nothing like that, though." Gibby's face tightened for a second, then a smile formed.

"For all the hustle she had when younger, she's really toned down hasn't she? Although, she has her moments." Freddie glanced up and watched the man tap his fingers on the table and study him closely. "You'll hear it from me. A woman like that needs a man, not a boy that can't make up his mind."

He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "What's that supposed to mean?" There was a powerful urge to punch Gibby in the jaw for such a backhanded statement, but he was able to control himself. "For someone who spends most of his time controlling women like they're simple objects, you're one to talk."

"Come on!" Gibby opened his palms and laughed. "I mean one minute you're into Carly, the next you're into some hot chick, then you're into Sam, and when you get her you dump her..." The words struck him like a punch to the gut and he looked away as Gibby swept his hand through his hair. "Then you're back on Carly like she's a bitch in heat, and when she moves away, you want Sam back. Playing the girls like they're not best friends who would tell each other everything, including that their best guy friend is going between the two of them."

"I-I'm past that now."

"I'm just saying, don't call me on my tendency to be controlling-which I know I do-and not admit to your own bullshit depravity. You're not perfect, none of us are." He shook himself and folded his forearms in his lap.

"I know that." The girl returned to the table and handed Gibby his drink, then sat down beside him. Freddie rolled his eyes and drew out a slow exhale as the man put his arm around the woman's shoulders. "I wanted to ask something else. What happened when Nora found you that time?"

Gibby's eyes drifted over and his lips parted momentarily. "What?" The response was slow as it dripped from Gibby's mouth. His forehead creased over as his large hand began to close. "Why bring up that woman?"

"Well it's just, I know she's in prison and all, and Sam tells me not to worry about it. I just want to know why she didn't go after you when you were the whole reason we got away from her the first time." At this point he didn't feel like bringing up the fact that Gibby handed Nora the address for Sam, but he had a feeling that he wouldn't like the answer if he asked.

"Nothing happened. She showed up at a movie theatre, asked me for information, and I gave it." Gibby's eyes slanted and his head rolled to the right. "I was in fear of my life. I'll be honest, I'd rather her go after Sam than me anyway." Freddie raised his eyebrows and opened his mouth to speak, but no response came to mind. "Sam's a big girl, she can take care of herself."

"You…don't like her much, do you?"

"Can you blame me?" He shrugged and turned to the blonde hanging on his arm. The girl was kissing his neck and shoulders and didn't seem to be stopping for a breath. "Hey babe, here's a twenty." Gibby pulled some money from his pocket and handed it to the girl. "Go down to the mall and buy yourself something nice."

Freddie took his drink and watched as the blonde danced out of the building. The moment she was gone, he felt the energy surrounding the table grow incredibly tense. His chest began to ache as his eyes moved slowly to Gibby.

His friend now had his palms on top of each other and planted firmly on the table. Gibby's shoulders were hunched and his mouth was twisted into a scowl. "You've known my opinion of her for years, Freddie. Why bother me with it _now_?"

"Because you've always acted like her friend. You've been her friend and Carly's as well."

"Friends by association. Do you know what that means?" Gibby sat back and perched his right elbow over the back of his seat. "It means because I was your friend, I was their friend, and I was obligated to be nice to Sam despite all the shit she put me through growing up. My junior high career was hell because of people who stepped on me, and she was just one of the many."

"She's not like that anymore. She's toned down, getting better about being a better person to people."

Gibby rolled his arm off the chair and moved his hand to his chest, chuckling at him. "I know that, and you know that." Freddie's breath stuck in his throat, and his body tensed under Gibby's new, icy glare. His hands started to sweat around the smoothie cup and a startling sensation swept through his spine. "Still." Gibby tore his hand away and shrugged. "That doesn't mean I have to give a shit."

"So I guess when you gave Nora her address, you didn't care?"

"Freddie. Some women, like Sam, deserve to be smacked around a bit." His eyes widened as Gibby rose from the table and grabbed his own drink. "She's too wild, too out there…maybe she'll find a guy one day who can control her. Be honest, haven't you ever wanted to slap her around a couple times? Just saying, we all have…"

"What has gotten into you?" He trembled as a fearful sensation shot up and pierced his heart. Words like these he'd never expected to hear from Gibby. "I thought you were over all the juvenile shit. Gibby, we were kids, doing as kids did."

"Whatever. You know Sam was hard on you too, and yet you're the one that wants to bend her over and slip it to her from behind." Freddie closed his eyes as Gibby's deep chuckle throttled him. Anger lapped at him like a great flame and he slowly clenched his fists, still resisting the impulse to lash out at this person who was his best friend. "Who knows, maybe a good fuck is what that broad needs."

His teeth clenched as Gibby moved for the doors. Before he had a chance to exit, Freddie turned around and called out to him. "She says she heard you in the background when she was contacted by Nevel after Nora was taken in." Gibby stopped, his hand rested firmly on the door latch and his eyes seemed to fixate on his limb. "Nevel somehow got himself out of prison and met up with you? Is that true?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm just curious as to _why_ you would be hanging out with Nevel-of all people."

"He reached out to me that day. Nothing more. Haven't seen him since." Gibby pushed open the door and left without another word. Freddie shivered and leaned over the table as he raised his hand up and swept it through his hair. A breath left his lips with in small shudders while tiny beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.

Would Gibby truly give Sam's address away just so Nora wouldn't attack him? No, it was too absurd a thought. For all the malice that Gibby just spewed, he wasn't cruel enough to do that to anyone, even Sam.

"Still, something isn't right." He turned his eyes up to the television behind T-Bo's counter. As the logo for the local news popped up on the screen, he rose from the table and turned away with a dejected sigh. "Why he can't have something other than news on the television, I'll never know."

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We're going to hope Sam remains in LA for this, and Carly in Italy. Will that occur? Maybe, maybe not. Oh, and what of Ms. Benson? She's important as well. Enjoy!


	3. Watching the Detectives

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N: Two things-1, I'm driving tomorrow and will not be able to update, so this gets put up tonight before I head to bed. 2-this is the third part that was "oneshot" before the story evolved into well, a story, so I'll give it to you now. Investigating Nevel. I want to hear no griping about the early update, it's for you guys-and I will be grouchy after a long drive. Lol I'm kidding, just enjoy.

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Chapter 3 (Watching the Detectives)

Freddie stopped on the sidewalk leading up to Nevel Papperman's home. He was on the phone with Carly, a shock to him since she was the one who called. "I was just worried about you and Sam, that's all." Carly's voice was slow and soft, like she was about to go to sleep. It made sense considering how late at night it was for her. "Sam told me you said we don't talk much anymore, so I thought I'd call. I heard about Nora…A few weeks ago."

"Yeah, I was on vacation with Mom, so she went after Sam." He turned to the right, gazing down the empty street. "You don't have to call and talk to me if you don't want to, you know."

"It isn't like Sam put me up to it. I just don't want you to think I hate you or anything like that." There was a pause. Freddie looked to the sidewalk and closed his eyes as his heart began to pound. "So Sam tells me she thinks you've got a crush on her now."

"I still like her, yeah. I want her back…Don't know if she wants me back." He walked to the stone bench in Nevel's yard and took a seat. "I mean I know it wasn't fair to you or her what I did, but it was years ago. Still you two-"

Carly laughed once and Freddie lifted his head. "We girls tend to hold onto things for a long time, Freddie. Especially if it's something that hurts us." He pressed his lips together and exhaled slowly. "Do you really know what you want, though? That's the question. I don't want her to be hurt again."

"I'm not going to hurt her. I just-"

"Freddie, why did you break up with her?" His breath faltered and he squinted his eyes trying to remember. "I know it was years ago, but why did you break up?" He shrugged and glanced off, unable to reply. "Tell me Freddie. I want to hear it from your mouth. It was because of me, wasn't it?"

"Something you said."

"Essentially because of me, the person that you had been obsessed with for many years before finally dating Sam-and obviously she knew that because she was there for it all." He winced and moved his hand up to his forehead. "Any other reason for you two to break up, she might have understood a little better. The fact that I influenced your breakup is the problem."

"It was mutual at the time-"

"No it wasn't." He whined at her sharpened tone. "I don't care what a girl tells you-someone like Sam agreeing and acting like she's 'okay' with you breaking up is lying through their teeth. She didn't want to break up, certainly not because of something _I_ may have done or said. Nobody in a relationship is going to let an outside person be the reason they split up!"

"I know, I know, I just-"

"Then you go and kiss her _after_ breaking up with her. Not just kiss, but full on making out. You wonder why she's been dodging your come-ons for the last two years? She's afraid to get involved with you again. Doesn't want to be hurt because you decide she's not what you're wanting after all."

"It's not like that now."

"Freddie. It shouldn't have been like that before. I will give you the benefit of the doubt, and if you two ever do get back together, I'll be happy for you. However, if you hurt her, I'll personally hop on the next flight out of Italy…and I'll gut you myself." His blood ran cold and he cleared his throat.

"I won't hurt her." He was serious, but so was she. It was amazing that Carly was still so protective of Sam, and he respected her for it. "I care for her, Carly. She's the one I want, no one else."

"I know you've said that about me for so long, and she knows the same. I just hope you won't change your mind."

"I won't!"

"I'll hold you to it. I need to get some sleep, so goodnight and good luck-whatever you decide to do."

When she hung up, he pulled the phone from his ear and looked down at it with a heavy sigh. "Why is it nobody has faith in me anymore?" Freddie shoved the phone into his pocket and walked towards Nevel's door, struggling mentally to push down the conversation he'd just had.

Once he rang the doorbell, the wooden door before him opened and Nevel was looking back at him with a polite smile. "Hello Benson, decided to take yourself off my lawn, have you?"

"Yeah actually, I just wanted to ask you something." He peered in over Nevel's shoulder and saw Mrs. Papperman sitting on the couch with her absent eyes gazing at the wall. "Hey, what's wrong with your mother?"

"Mother?" Nevel looked over his shoulder and waved his hand in the air. "Oh nothing, she's been like that for days now. I think it's just depression, or sickness." Freddie wrinkled his nose and studied the woman's neck, where a square device was glinting in the sunlight. "We can't have her sending me away now, can we?"

"Has anyone ever told you…you are one creepy little man."

"Yes." Nevel scratched his forehead and closed his eyes. "Now is there something you want? You said you've got questions, what about? I'm guessing you've been a rather inquisitive fellow lately, now haven't you?"

"Er, yeah, it's just that I was hanging with Gibby a little while ago and he said he was talking to you before. I was wondering what about, because he wouldn't tell me." His eyes darted to another object in the room behind Nevel, it was large and metallic, and placed on the coffee table in front of the couch. "Hey what's that?"

He walked in absentmindedly and looked to the technical object, curious as to whether it was a computer of some sort. "Don't touch that!" Nevel barked. Freddie jerked back and turned to him. "I call that a Shocker 2000. I invented it to stop any car engine within a five mile radius."

"Wha-" He furrowed his brow and studied Nevel's proud expression. His blood ran cold as a similar energy drifted off the man that had been around Gibby. "Why would you invent something like that?"

"Bored." Nevel walked to the object and crouched down. He swept his fingers along the polished surface and grinned. "Besides, you never know when you might have to go on a high speed pursuit and stop an armed robber before he shoots out your tire." As Nevel's eyes slid into Freddie's, he felt all the air evaporate from his lungs as a sharp sensation struck him in the stomach.

"Ouch." He moved his hand to his abdomen and closed his eyes. "Low blow."

"Oh I'm sorry." Nevel's hand moved up to his mouth and he rose up. "That's how your father died when you were just a boy, wasn't it?"

"I'm not sure who's been more of a dick today. You, or Gibby."

"Well, maybe if you didn't just barge into peoples' homes and start touching their stuff, then they wouldn't be harsh now would they?" Nevel crossed his arms and circled Freddie, studying him closely. "As for what Gibby and I were doing, it was a simple chat between friends. Nothing of importance to you."

"I don't know. Something just feels off lately, like how you knew almost exactly where to find Nora when she and Cat were looking around for her."

"Lucky guess, but I am studying for my junior real estate license."

"Even still you wouldn't be that accurate." Nevel took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes. After several seconds, he huffed and turned away.

"Why are you pursuing this? Isn't the crazed woman now in prison? Are you trying to relive your father's memory? Careful how you choose to walk your father's path, that ended in tragedy if I am not mistaken."

"I'm not trying to be my father."

"It wasn't even his case to work, Freddie." Freddie's breathing grew still as Nevel walked around him. His eyes followed while his body remained paralyzed. "Your father was just following a trail because he was suspicious, am I right? Skeptical the police had done their job right-but he overstepped his bounds as a private detective."

"He was right, though."

"And look what it cost him." Nevel leaned inwards and lowered his voice to a whisper as he set his head beside Freddie's. Freddie flicked his gaze to the window and clamped his lips together. "He died pursuing the man, did he not? Left behind a broken wife who had the misfortune of working the shift at the emergency room when he was carried in, and left behind a small seven year old boy that loved his father so much he thought he could carry on daddy's legacy."

Bile crept up his throat and his eyes burned from the water forming at his eyelids. "That's enough, Nevel."

"And now!" Nevel walked in front of him and smirked. "Now your mother's lost her mind and obsessed over you for so long, afraid to lose you, but you're growing up. You'll leave her one day, and she knows you won't come back, she pushed you away without meaning to."

"That is not true!" He was dodging Freddie's initial question, attempting at his best to get under his skin, but he was succeeding. Freddie's ears burned and his teeth ground together as Nevel leaned back and spread his arms out.

"Quit chasing a phantom, Freddie. You spend so much time trying to be your father that you have no time to be yourself. Trail the same path and you may end up in an early grave just as he."

"I should punch you right now." Freddie's eyes narrowed further and a growl seeped from his lips. "Right in front of your own trancelike mother. God have mercy on you, for whatever you've done to your mom."

"I'm only giving you advice to make your life better." Nevel stepped beside him and scoffed once. "As for that blonde. Samantha Puckett…" Freddie closed his hands and tightened his muscles as Nevel slowly turned his head to him. "You should stop worrying about her so much, you have no future with her. About as much as you had with the Shay girl."

"Fuck you."

"Why? The more you push, the more she pushes you away. Have you ever thought that maybe she does not trust you? After all, you seem like a man that could very easily cheat on someone he ends up with."

"But I _won't_. That's beside the point anyway, it isn't your business!"

"Then don't come into my house and expect me not to speak my mind. I am but a simple observer of things. Nothing more." Nevel opened his front door back up and motioned outside. "Now if you are done 'investigating' me, I'd like you to leave now."

"Fine." Freddie stopped in the doorway and swallowed down the bile that had risen to the top of his throat. He looked back at Nevel and narrowed his eyes further. "I hate you."

"Goodbye, Benson. It's been real fun, but the fun is only just beginning." A sudden rush of air swept past him and the door slamming echoed behind him. Freddie was jolted forward, feeling a soreness in his back. He glanced back at the door and rubbed his lower back, groaning at the pain.

* * *

And that was Nevel, ouch. So he's invented a jammer, and has been fiddling with mind control technology. Wonder what _he's_ planning. Well, give your thoughts folks, I'll try to have the next chapter for you in a couple of days.


	4. Dying Ember

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 4 (Dying Ember)

The following morning, Freddie sat with his mother on the couch while eating an omelet he prepared for breakfast. "Mom? What do you think of Sam? You still don't like her?" Marissa's shoulders rose and her eyes drifted to the right.

"I think the same as I thought of Carly, but that doesn't matter anymore." Marissa had always disliked any woman who threatened her relationship with Freddie. It was due to her fear of losing him, which he didn't think there was anything to the fear. "You're free to spend time with anyone if they make you happy." He moved a bite of his cheese omelet to his lips and raised an eyebrow at his mother.

"The fact that she's in LA doesn't bother you?"

There was a long pause as Marissa reached for the remote control on the end table. "Of course it does, but I'm done holding you back. I know you're a growing man, you deserve some freedom."

"What brought this on?"

"Nothing. I just…You're sick of me treating you like a baby." Freddie lowered the fork and remembered the argument he and his mother had many weeks ago when he flew into California. "You've got your Associates, you're going to leave me to go to University level. Your father would be proud, and I'm proud of you."

"Just because I'm going away doesn't mean I'm never coming back, Mom." He didn't even know what university he was going to. There were many he applied to, and many that accepted him, including the University of California in Los Angeles. Even Sam didn't know he'd been accepted into that school yet, but he wanted to tell her and see what she said. If she didn't want him to go, he wouldn't.

Marissa moved her arms around her stomach and studied the blank television in front of her. "Your father said he was coming back. Before he left to track that burglar. He should have left it to the police that were investigating the case, Freddie."

"No one could have known what was going to happen." The burglar that killed his father had been robbing a string of stores and banks in the man's old hometown, so feeling a sense of duty, John flew out to track the man down. He had a hunch about who it was, but police didn't find evidence linking to the man. "He was right though, and he did stop the man."

"It cost him his life, Freddie." Marissa closed her eyes and breathed in slowly. Freddie watched painstakingly as a tear left his mother's eye. "I don't like you going on the same career track as your father, doing investigations like some private detective."

"I have to admit, I like the thought of being a detective."

"It isn't as glamorous as those old classic movies." Marissa chuckled weakly and closed her eyes. "You don't get the pretty blonde walking in your office and starting a romance with you along the way." Freddie set his plate on his lap and leaned back, moving his hands behind his head.

"One can only dream, right?" Sometimes dreams came true, even if they seemed unlikely. He closed one eye and looked to his mother with the open one, sighing heavily. "Are you really afraid I'll just walk out the door and never come back?"

Marissa scratched at her hairline and leaned to the right. "It's not like I can claim I was the sanest mother in the world." Freddie relaxed and lowered his arms, frowning at his mother's gentle smile. "I will always love you, no matter what."

"You're my mom, of course I'll always love you. I'm not going to disappear someday and I'm not going to get caught up in some rogue investigation like Dad did and get myself killed." He kicked his heels up on the coffee table and placed his hands back behind his head. "But you do have to relax and let me expand, otherwise I'll never grow. Right?"'

"Just promise me you'll be a good person. Always do the things you need to and take care of those you care about." He raised an eyebrow at her and hummed silently. He wasn't going to try and analyze what she meant by that, especially since he didn't want to get involved in some long, drawn out emotional session with his mother.

"Of course." He reached over to feel of her forehead, but it only felt clammy. "You're not running a temperature. Are you okay? You're talking like it's the end of the world or something."

"I don't know, I guess I just worry. It feels like we're at a point…I'm not ready to let you go, but I know that you have to spread your wings and build your own life." Marissa pat his knee and Freddie's heart ached when he saw a peculiar sadness overtake her "I don't know if I'll always have a place in your life, but whatever happens. Wherever you go." She held her breath for what seemed an eternity, finally releasing it after only a few seconds. "I'm sorry for being such a crazy mother, for being obsessive."

"Mom, come on."

"No. The way I've been, it isn't the right way to raise a child." Freddie sat upright and a wrinkle formed between his eyebrows as Marissa looked down to the floor. "I've not taught you the things in life you need to know. You don't know how to handle things like relationships or other things parenting because I've shown you the way you _shouldn't _be."

He had to know what was bringing this on, but found little room to interject and ask. "You've been a great mother. I couldn't ask for any better." Sure he said otherwise growing up, but those were days when he was younger. "Don't doubt that."

"If your father had been alive, things would have been much different. He would have wanted you to grow, to go out and do the things you wanted and form relations. He would have wanted you to be free, and not sheltered by an overprotective, overbearing mother."

"You did what you thought was best, Mom. Whether or not it was right isn't an issue. There are a lot of worse mothers out there."

"Name one."

He rolled his eyes and lifted his shoulders. "Pam." Sam's mother was one of the more terrible ones out there. She didn't even lift a finger when Sam left, only to say that Sam was a horrible daughter for leaving her behind. In truth, Freddie thought Sam did the right thing by escaping that nasty woman.

"You're just trying to be nice, now."

"No really. Sam's softened up a lot since she left her mom. She's learned to relax and not to be so constantly aggressive." Sam still had some anger issues here and there, but she'd found ways to control that without major problems. "All I'm saying is don't count yourself out. You're a great mother."

"Thank you. I think I just had a long time at work is all."

"Probably. Maybe you should get some sleep."

"Yeah."

After Marissa went to bed, Freddie set his plate in the sink and leaned back against the refrigerator. His eyes scanned the counter with disdain at the trash and dirty dishes that lay scattered about. "This isn't like mom. None of this is." As his eyes drifted to the sink, he noticed the door beneath it ajar and the cap of a bottle sticking out. "What is this?"

Freddie reached down and grabbed the bottle, startled when he pulled out what was a large, half empty bottle of Vodka. "No." His mother's voice stunned him and he quickly turned to see her standing in the hall doorway with wide eyes.

"Mom." Freddie lifted the bottle up and raised an eyebrow. "When did you start drinking?"

"I've…always drank." She walked into the room and slowly rubbed her forearm. "I was waiting for you to go to the university before I told you, because I didn't want you to worry." His heart began to sink as he glanced back at the door and saw a bottle of pills where the alcohol was. "I'm putting all my money towards your college-everything. The doctors, they want to hospitalize me. I've got cirrhosis of the liver, Freddie."

Numbness overtook him and his hand gripped the neck of the bottle tight as his emotions began to form a tornado inside him. "What?" This wasn't possible, at least he never noticed anything wrong with her. "No, I don't believe it. You-"

"I hid it because I didn't want to worry you. I'm dying, Freddie." Her eyes started to well up and Freddie began to pour the remains of the Vodka into the sink. "I'm sorry."

"No. You don't get to do that." He set the bottle in the sink and faced her, his voice rising with anger. "You don't get to tell me you're dying, and then say you're sorry."

"I don't know what else to say." She took another step forward and reached out, frowning at him. Now he understood why she'd been acting so strange, and he hated it.

"I-I have to think. I need to process this." He brushed past her and moved his hand to his abdomen. His stomach was tightening to the point that his entire abdomen and sides were in a great deal of pain. His heart was beating so fast that he had to lay down or risk a heart attack.

In LA, Sam answered her cell phone hastily after fumbling through her purse for half of its ring duration. When she heard Freddie's downtrodden and quiet voice, she was concerned something had happened. "Is everything okay, Freddie?"

"Yeah just, no. Do you have some time to talk?"

"Yes. I'm getting ready to join Cat over at her friend's place for a game of poker, but I've got some time." She sat on the end of the couch and pulled her legs up onto the cushions. Her elbow perched on the arm rest and her hand rose to dig into her hair. "You sound like someone just kicked your puppy."

"My mom's dying." A sudden gasp left her throat and she sat upright.

"Oh my god, what happened?" Never would she wish anything bad to happen to the woman, no matter how much grief she and Carly had given her over the years.

"Liver failure I guess. Alcoholism, she's been drinking for years and hiding it from me." Her hand moved up to her chest and she glanced over to see Cat watching her from the kitchen. "Oh, and if you ever come up to Seattle. Stay the fuck away from Gibby." She jerked back and raised an eyebrow at his sudden, strange remark.

"What's that about?"

"Nothing really." There was a long pause followed by a heavy sigh. If he just needed someone to talk to, she'd be there for him. It was hard to believe that Mrs. Benson was dying, but it was clear he wasn't ready to full on talk about it just yet. "I guess I should be honest, I've been looking into the whole thing with Nora."

"Nora? Didn't I tell you not to bother with that psycho bitch?"

"Yeah, but something didn't feel right. I talked to Gibby, even found and talked to Nevel. They both seem very…touchy. I don't think Gibby likes you, actually."

"He seems friendly whenever we talk, but it isn't that much." It wasn't too surprising to hear, though for Freddie to outright say that meant something had to have taken place between the men, and she wasn't sure about asking. "You think Gibby had something to do with Nora?"

"I don't know. I don't think he had anything directly to do with her, but he certainly admitted to giving her your address. I still think it's strange because he's the one that stopped her the first time-you would think she'd go after him too."

"Maybe, but what does it matter? If Nora's in prison, she's not a threat to any of us."

"I know, I know."

"If anyone else was involved, you can't really prove it on your own. Take it to the police. Don't investigate something and put yourself at risk."

"That's what mom was saying, actually, but police won't do anything on a hunch." She closed her eyes and shook her head. If he was truly insistent on investigating this, she wasn't going to fight him on it, but she did worry. "Oh, also, I wanted to run by you one of the possible universities I've been accepted at."

Her finger swirled absently on the armrest and her eyes clung to the circle. "Which one?"

"University of California at Los Angeles." She froze and drifted her eyes towards the door. Her heart jumped momentarily and she closed her eyes, sighing heavily. "I just wanted to make sure if that was somewhere I went, it wouldn't make you uncomfortable."

"It wouldn't. Besides, I'm not going to stop you from going where you want." She wouldn't mind seeing him more often, to be perfectly truthful. "It would be good to see you some more, I think."

"Really?"

"Yes. I mean…" She cleared her throat and brushed her lips together. As her lower lip tucked beneath her teeth, she turned her attention to Cat. The redhead was tapping her wrist impatiently. Sam lifted a finger and took a deep breath. "I don't want you to make a decision based on anything other than what you want. Still, take care of your mom-do you know how long she has?"

"Maybe a few months, I'm not positive."

"Well." She closed her eyes over and let her chest fall with a slow exhale. "I'll be here if you need to talk." It was horrible news, and for the first time in a long time she felt like she wanted to be there with him. No one should have to go through such grief.

"I appreciate it. Anyway, I should probably head out to the gym. I really need to relax-there's a lot on my mind right now."

"I understand. Get some rest, and stop worrying about this whole thing with Nora. Okay?" He didn't need the extra stress if it was unnecessary. At best she wanted to urge him to go to the police if he suspected anything more.

"Hey Sam?"

"What?"

"I uh…" A lump formed in her throat as Freddie stopped. She furrowed her brow and sucked her lips in. "Thanks for chatting."

"No problem." He hung up and Sam pulled the phone from her ear. She looked to Cat and smiled as the redhead grabbed her purse from the counter. "Alright, I'm ready to head out."

"About time," Cat replied, "Let's not worry about explaining why we're late to the poker game."

"You can always say traffic was an issue."

Sam flashed a smirk and Cat started to laugh. "Very true."

* * *

So, a little bit of bad news there.


	5. Warning

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 5 (Warning)

"Full House," remarked one of Cat's friends. The enthusiasm was met with groans as the winner pulled all the chips back. Sam was sitting out a few hands and watching from the recliner. It was difficult to pay attention, much less play, with Freddie's phone call on her mind.

"Hey." Sam jerked her head up and smiled at a brunette walking up behind the couch. It was the sister of one of Cat's friends. She looked strangely familiar, but couldn't place where she might have seen her before. "Why aren't you playing with Tori and the rest?"

"Too much on my mind." The girl's lips formed an oval and she walked around to sit on the couch. "Just a friend of mine back in Seattle is going through some hard times, that's all."

"Something you want to talk about?"

"I'd rather not. I don't think he'd want me to anyway." At least not about Mrs. Benson, it wasn't her place. She glanced at the friends and furrowed her brow. "Why aren't you over there playing?" The girl laughed once and shook her head.

"Me? No thanks. I enjoy a good game of poker, but not with my sister's friends. They're a bit, I guess I could say indifferent when it comes to me. They don't like me, I don't like them."

"Oh."

"Doesn't matter though." The girl put her heels up on the table and stretched her lips into a grin. "I'm moving out in a couple of weeks. I finally got my bachelor's and I landed a spot with the LAPD." Sam looked over with a chuckle, amazed to meet someone else interested in that career field.

"Awesome, Freddie's going that route himself. He wants to be a detective, though. Even now he's investigating stuff." The girl rubbed her knees and lifted her eyebrows. "Like that Nora person, insane psycho chick that keeps bothering us." The girl's eyebrows moved inwards and her entire face seemed to sink.

"Nora? Derschlit?"

"Yeah." A sudden shift of tension came over her and she leaned back carefully while studying the growing anxiety and anger in the woman's eyes. "She uh-she's in prison now. Freddie thinks she's involved in a conspiracy, but I don't think so. Considering one of the people he thinks she might be working is one of our-" She faltered for a second, remembering what Freddie told her about Gibby. Her head bowed momentarily and she cleared her throat. "His…friend." She stretched her fingers out and looked up. "So what, do you know her?"

"Me?" The girl laughed nervously and shook her head as her father walked out of his study and into the kitchen. "No, not at all." She looked at the man and flashed an innocent smile. He filled up a glass of water, then returned to his study, and then the girl tensed and lowered her voice. "I know _of_ her, actually. She's dangerous."

"How do you know her?"

"Not important, but you might consider telling your friend not to keep getting involved in investigating her. She's crazy, yes, but she has a tendency to get really out of control-and if he gets too close…"

Her heart stopped and fear shot up, choking her with its invisible grasp. Her memory slipped back to the day they first met Nora, it was at a party the girl convinced them to go to.

At this party was a group of friends that she'd gotten rid of, and among the faces that Sam could recall, this girl was there. Her hand moved up to her chest and she studied the rigid posture the girl was now seated in. "W-What do you know of Nora?"

"Other than she's a spoiled brat who stops at nothing to get what she wants, not much." She was going to maximum security, so she couldn't be much of a threat at all. "She was a dangerous criminal even before you might have met her. There are people who would be loyal to her, people loyal to her parents. So if your friend thinks there's a conspiracy, it may not be with the people that he suspects initially, but he is most likely correct."

"Well, she's not a threat anymore. She's in maximum now."

"You think that'll stop that bitch? Why do you think I'm here instead of Seattle, with my 'family'? There are reasons my sister and her friends don't associate with me, and reasons I don't associate with them."

"Witness protection?"

"I did say Nora stops at nothing. Tell your friend to stop pursuing that investigation, he's risking a lot. Let the police deal with her. Especially if he does stumble on something…"

"I-I'll try, but he won't listen. I've already told him not to investigate it, but he still is."

"Freddie Benson?"

"Yeah…" Sam was not one to be afraid of anything, but the way this girl was talking struck her in a place that was deeper than anything had gone before. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Nora came after them three times now, so PTSD was possible.

She wanted to believe Nora wasn't a threat anymore, that she'd gone to prison. The woman's final words that she'd return weighed heavily on her mind for a few days before she rid them from memory.

Of course, if people truly were loyal to Nora, then she had somebody outside prison that could do her dirty work.

Sam looked to her purse and took a deep breath, pausing as she hovered her hand above it. This wasn't an issue she wanted to stress Freddie out about right now, not with the problem regarding his mother, but it was of utmost importance that he know what this woman was saying. "I'll call him. Let him know."

"If you don't think he'll listen to you, I can try. Technically I'm not supposed to since I am dealing with Witness Protection, but if it keeps your friend from harm, then I'm happy to."

Back in Seattle, Freddie joined Gibby at a restaurant per invitation. "I think we left off on the wrong foot," Gibby started. "I want to say I'm sorry about the way I was talking before."

"It's no big deal," he lied, "I might have wanted to punch you, but it's fine."

"Oh?" Gibby laughed and smacked him on the back, causing him to jerk forward. "Don't worry man, if I ever say something like I did then, feel free to take a shot at me. I know you've got a thing for Sam, so it was rude of me to say what I did."

"Thanks." He rolled his eyes and reached for his water. "Though you're like everyone else, you think nothing's going to happen because I was stupid in the past." Gibby rubbed his neck and looked away without denying Freddie's claim. "I admit it, I played two best friends, but I didn't do it intentionally. I just didn't know what I wanted. I cared for Carly, cared for Sam, cared for a lot of girls and just didn't have anyone to you know…guide me."

"Well when the closest thing to a father figure you have is _Spencer_, then you've got a problem."

Freddie lifted his drink to his lips and closed his eyes. "Tell me about it." He had nothing against the man, and hadn't seen him since Carly left, but he may not have been the best male role model. Yet, Freddie had emphasized him for a time. Since the girls left, Freddie had a thing for dating a woman and moving on after a week or two, much like Spencer. "Sometimes I think I'm going to end up a crazy bachelor living alone by the time I'm thirty."

Gibby flashed a smirk. "Maybe you will." He chuckled as Gibby bit into a breadstick and yanked it away from his clamped teeth. "One thing you can say is you never cheated on anyone. At least not yet, but the way you are, it's not hard to understand why some girls might be afraid of that."

"At least I won't try to control or abuse them."

"Ah you know I don't hit women." Freddie's eyebrows rose as Gibby looked at him with a straight face. "I kill them." His body tensed and his jaw dropped. Gibby continued to stare at him for a long time, then broke out in laughter. "I'm kidding!" He whistled softly and shook himself, bowing his head as his friend nudged him. "No man, I couldn't hurt a fly."

Freddie chuckled softly, "You are such an ass."

"Tell me something I don't know." Gibby reached under the table and grabbed something from a backpack he'd brought with him. Freddie glanced over curiously and grimaced when he saw the man remove his old makeshift head. "I wanted to show you some cool adjustments that Nevel made, by the way." Freddie choked on his soup and lifted his hand.

"Please don't, I'm still trying to stomach the fact that you and Nevel were hanging out to begin with."

"He's not as bad as he was before."

"Whatever." Freddie took some bread from the basket in the center and glanced at the model head from the corner of his eyes. In place of the eyes were new glass eyes that had red pupils. "What the hell did you do with the eyes?"

"Aren't they cool? It's a change Nevel made. Why don't you take a closer look."

"Ugh." He turned his head fully and studied the eyes, unaffected by the rising sense of discomfort inside him. He pictured the odd device on Mrs. Papperman's neck and the 'shocker' that Nevel claimed to invent. Whatever he did to the model head may not have been so great. "So he changed your doll's eyes to look a little creepier?"

"Well that's not all. If you really look into the eyes, you can see a crystal clear reflection of yourself. Not to mention the red pupils change color."

"Really?" He leaned forward, suddenly mesmerized by the flickering pupils but surprised that they weren't changing. His stomach felt empty and a numbing pain throbbed in his head. "I don't…feel well…" He blinked multiple times and struggled to pull away, but the pupils were too fascinating and beckoned his concentration.

"My eyes are hypnotic, aren't they?" Gibby laughed once and Freddie responded with a dry chuckle. "So Nevel tells me you're still looking into the whole thing with Nora?"

"Yeah…there might be a conspiracy. I just want to find clues."

"You think others are involved with that psycho woman?"

"Maybe." He felt himself beginning to lose consciousness. His hands tensed as a groan left his lips. The numbing sensation in his head turned to fire and burned down his body. "What did Nevel do?"

His concentration was soon broken by a terrible ring. His body jolted back and Gibby frowned as he reached into his pocket for his phone. "That's Sam, I've got to take this." Freddie rose up from his seat and put the phone to his ear. "It's noisy in here, so I'll take this outside."

"Damn."

Freddie rushed outside where it was quiet and pressed himself against the wall, sighing with relief as the peculiar sensation fled him. "Hello? Sam?"

"I'm not Sam," replied an unfamiliar voice. His eyes widened and he glanced over his shoulder into the restaurant. Gibby was now focused on his food. When Freddie moved his hand to his chest, he noticed for the first time a drenching sweat. "But Sam's sitting right here next to me. You're Freddie, right?"

"Y-Yeah. Who are you?"

"Call me K. I'm in the Witness Protection program, Sam told me you've been looking into Nora's case."

"Yeah. What about it?"

"I know her. Or knew her." There was a heavy sigh, followed by a brief pause. Freddie pushed himself from the building and walked down the empty street, overcome by a gut instinct to get away from the place. "You might not remember me, I was one of the girls at that party of hers several years ago. Her parents…killed my parents."

His heart stopped and he started to shake his head at the impossible statement. "What? No they were there the second time she came after us. If they were in prison for murder, then-"

"They have friends, people who could get them out of trouble. Nora wanted something of mine, I wasn't going to give it up, so she had her parents go and convince my parents to give the item up. When they said no, Nora ordered her parents to kill us…I survived because I locked myself in the basement."

Freddie's knees began to buckle and once more his body was overcome with sweat. "So what happened?"

"The cops put me in witness protection and sent me to live with the people I'm with now. The reason being that some friend of theirs told me they were going to kill me once the parents were off. The judge delivered a not-guilty verdict and that was that."

"Okay. What's the point?"

"Nora stops at nothing to get what she wants. If you think there's a conspiracy, if she has people working with her, she does. The closer you get to figuring that out, the more likely she is going to come after you. Stop investigating, it's for the benefit of your own life. Let the police handle it."

"I-I can't. I have to know."

"Why? What good will it do?"

"Because if I find out who is working for her, I can go to the police with that information. Then nobody's going to come after us, no one's going to hurt Sam. No one's going to go after Carly in Italy, though I think she's fairly safe over there."

"If you're worried about Sam's safety, then stop investigating. Nora will use that. Not to mention she already wants to go after both Sam and Carly, from what your friend told me. She'd also like to go after you because you make a third of iCarly. Listen to me and listen well, Benson. Nora is psycho for a reason, she's a crazy bitch and the deeper you get with her the more dangerous it's going to get."

"Look." Freddie scratched his forehead and exhaled sharply. "I appreciate the concern, but I have to make sure she's really not going to be a threat anymore." He heard Sam's voice in the background, telling the woman that he wasn't going to listen. He rolled his eyes and tightened his lips while thinking of a reply. "Her parents are still locked up, so maybe the people that were loyal to them aren't anymore."

The girl sighed and spoke with a calm tone. "Then she would have found new people. Maybe when she escaped the last time." Freddie tensed and mentally searched for how someone as insane as Nora could have found someone loyal to her. "Listen to me and listen well. Even before my parents were murdered, Nora had this way about her at school…she's a manipulative, evil little bitch. She uses people, plays out the things they want most and seduces them with a promise of reaching that goal just to get what _she _wants. When she's done with that person, she casts them aside."

"So if someone's working with her, you think she's using them?"

"Probably. They're going to finish whatever goal she has, hoping to get whatever they want. If it's revenge, money, hate, greed, love, whatever it is…she's a demon of desire, as I said, promising to grant people the thing they want most so she can rise up herself."

His phone beeped and he pulled it away from his ear. The low battery indicator was flashing. "Shit my phone didn't charge last night. I need to go."

"Wait, just tell us you won't pursue this any further!"

"I have to go, I'm sorry." The phone vibrated and started to shut down. Freddie looked up and stared at the restaurant in the distance. As he looked to the right, he thought he saw somebody in the alleyway next to him. At first glance it resembled Nevel, but thinking back, he assumed it to be a figment of his imagination.

Freddie pulled his father's old brown hat down on his head and continued to walk away from the restaurant. Whatever was awaiting him there, he wanted no part of.

* * *

Well Freddie, Gibby almost got your ass. Nope, Freddie's not lettin' the cops deal with this one, though perhaps he ought to, like his father things truly are deeper than he knows. He almost went out by way of his father, but got lucky. A detective's luck.


	6. Investigation at a Law Firm

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N: Here's Spencer for ya, you'll see him a couple times. Regular readers, see if you catch the easter egg

* * *

Chapter 6 (Investigation at a Law Firm)

Freddie moved along the street, looking at the map of downtown on his phone. He spent a good portion of the prior day with his mother as well as trying to make himself feel better by convincing him that Nora wasn't a threat. "I just need to know," he muttered to himself while stopping where the GPS point signaled a halt.

In front of him was a small building between two large ones. It was labeled _J. J. S. Law Offices of Tyler, Klein, and Keith._ With a deep breath he pushed open the front doors and looked around the inside of the building.

It was an old fashioned building with a metal detector in front of him. As he passed through the metal detector and tipped his cap at the guard, he eyeballed three desks that were positioned around the floor. One had a woman with curly blonde hair like Sam's, and the name plaque on the desk read S. Keith.

In front of her desk was a man with long dark hair and a chin beard, his name plaque read _J. Klein. _Across from a brown walkway leading up to a fourth desk was one desk seated alone. A man was working fervently on paperwork, he had broad shoulders and short brown hair. His name plaque read _J. Tyler_.

The three attorneys looked up at him and pointed to the fourth desk at the end of the walkway, instructing him to make an appointment with their clerk. He wanted to see the clerk anyway, so he continued down the walkway.

The clerk was hidden behind a newspaper, seemingly engrossed in an article about the local college's fine arts program. "Spencer." The newspaper shook and Spencer soon emerged from it, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Freddie? Haven't seen you in a long time."

"Yeah, you're a hard man to find."

"Well when you work for three of Seattle's most powerful attorneys, you can't put your address out there." Spencer moved out of Bushwell some time ago, saying he couldn't get a job in the arts but at least with the college he had, he could get a job at a law firm. All Freddie had to do was look up the faculty of every law firm, no easy task. "So. You found me, you need something. What is it? And no, I'm not going to ask Carly to move back to the states for you."

"I don't want that." He rolled his eyes and sat down in the chair across from Spencer's desk. The man folded the paper up and leaned back in his leather chair, studying Freddie with a frown.

"Need to make an appointment to see one of the attorneys, then? Tell me you don't have to fight a restraining order."

"It's not that!" He covered his mouth and glanced back as the three attorneys turned around and moved a finger up to their lips. He pulled at his shirt collar and chuckled nervously before lowering his voice. "Sorry, Spencer. I'm just getting tired of people assuming I'm a douchebag."

Spencer rolled his head to the right and folded his hands on top of the now folded paper. "Okay. So if you don't need to see one of the attorney's-which I'd question why you'd come here knowing how expensive they are-then what are you here for?"

"I need information."

Spencer took a long momentary pause, the corners of his lip began to twitch, then he bellowed out with a laugh. Freddie sank in his chair as the attorneys turned around again and shushed them. Spencer tugged on his black tie and cleared his throat.

"Freddie. You know that there are certain laws. I can't just tell you information about any case or client. Even police can't get past an attorney without certain regulations, and I'm not even an attorney. I'm a paralegal."

"I know." He rolled his eyes and sighed. His face tightened and his eyes slanted further. "Look it isn't about any clients, I just-Do you remember Nora Dershlit?" Spencer's mouth dripped into an intense frown and a line formed on his forehead.

"I was hoping not to have to think about her again. Freddie, I've moved on from those days. So has Carly, and I'm certain Sam has as well. I suggest you do the same."

"I just need to know that she's not working with anyone." Spencer's eyes narrowed and drifted to the attorneys in the room. Freddie watched the lump in the man's throat fall, then rise back to place.

"Why?"

"Because she came after us again, Spencer. Or rather, she went after Sam first. Somebody told me it wasn't the first time she's had a run in with the law, and that there was a network of people that worked with them."

"I cannot give you names, but I do know of the case you're referring to." Spencer pulled open a drawer behind his desk and removed a file. "It was before my time, but there was an attorney working at this firm. _S. Ross_. He was Nora's family attorney. He had ties with the judge, and a group of people that were with them."

"So what happened?"

"He lost his job when he got tried for embezzlement. After that, they discovered a book in his desk with a list of people associated with Nora's family. People who had been paying him off, paying the judge off and keeping them out of trouble. One by one the attorneys here prosecuted them."

Spencer closed the manila folder. His chest expanded and his shoulders rose. "None of those people are associated with that family anymore. Most have gone to prison for charges such as bribery, fraud…" He returned the folder to his desk and shook his head. "Now that's all I can give you without running the risk of losing my job."

Freddie was relieved to hear the news, but still surprised Nora would have been able to break out of the facility on her own. "You're sure that's it? There weren't any other names? When she broke out of prison that last time…"

"I believe the police subdued an accomplice involved in aiding her escape from that facility, so no. She did not act alone. However that person has long since been processed and is in custody."

Spencer reached for a mug on his desk and spoke up once more, but with nonchalance. "Besides, she can't get near you, Sam or Carly. I happen to know all three of you were granted restraining orders against her by the judge that processed her. Even if she were to get out of prison yet again, she'd be in violation even if she so much as spat in your general direction."

"I see." Freddie gripped the ends of the arm rests and started to push himself up when Spencer set his mug back down and shot him a suspecting look.

"Why do you really want to know this stuff?" He sat back in his seat and watched the man tangle his fingers together. "What's bothering you?"

"I just-look, I'm suspicious and I don't want to say anything. Gibby willingly handed Nora Sam's address, and Nevel pointed Sam in the exact direction to find where Nora was hiding. I know it's probably nothing, and Gibby just claims he didn't care about Sam so he gave the address 'in fear of his life', but…"

"Gibby?" Spencer raised his hand up and scratched underneath his chin. His thick eyebrows curled into each other and his nose crinkled. "That boy was always a little freak. I never wanted to say anything when he was spending time with you guys, he always seemed friendly, but whenever you two weren't looking-the way he glared at Sam always bothered me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean to say." Spencer set his hand down and took a slow breath. "There was so much hatred in his eyes, I wanted to throw him out of the house a couple of times. He always seemed to get along great with you three, but I think he resented Sam for the way she treated him in the older days."

This was no surprise, but he still couldn't believe he missed it. Whenever Gibby was around them, he was always cool and friendly. "If I hadn't heard it from Gibby himself, I wouldn't believe it. Hell, the guy even rescued us from Nora the first time! You remember that."

"Yes."

"Someone told me Nora has a tendency to manipulate, to play off someone's innermost desire. Be it revenge, love, whatever it is…Do you think maybe she's using Gibby's resentment towards Sam to get close?"

"Isn't she in prison now?"

"Yes, but-"

"Maybe she used it when she escaped and went after Sam. It is certainly possible." Spencer rubbed his chin and furrowed his brow. "You mentioned Nevel, but why would he be involved?"

"Nevel was always out for revenge, to hurt Carly. If he had _any_ involvement, it may have to do with that."

"She's in Italy, Nora couldn't leave the states if she escaped prison." Very likely Nora would have driven out to California when she went after Sam, because airport security would have spotted her right away. "I imagine, though, Nevel could invent some way to fly out of the country. That boy's got an answer to everything, I swear…"

"You think there's something more to it?"

"I think nothing-my opinion is my own." Spencer flattened his hands onto his desk and looked Freddie in the eyes with a stern look. "If you believe there's a legitimate danger, go to the police. Do not put yourself, Sam, or my sister at risk by looking into something the police ought to handle."

"If I found proof, I could go to them." Spencer's hand moved up over his forehead and he leaned to the right with a heavy sigh. "Gibby did something weird yesterday though, I don't know if it's related."

"Gibby did something weird? Freddie, when does he _not_ do something weird?"

"It was with that model head he made."

"And there you go." Someone cleared their throat and Spencer looked up to see Mr. Klein standing at the desk.

"Spencer, I need those reports. If you are finished socializing, I would appreciate the reports on my desk as soon as possible."

"Yes sir, I'm almost finished." The attorney walked back to his desk and Spencer turned to his computer. "Damn, Freddie, you're getting me in trouble here." He started to grumble and glared at Freddie from the corner of his eyes, causing the man to flinch. "Now unless you need to make an appointment with the others, I suspect we're done here?"

"Yeah, it's uh, nice to see you again Spence." Freddie left the office as fast as he could, shaken by the possibility that either Gibby or Nevel could have anything to do with Nora. He was also upset over Spencer, but not too shocked by the man's reaction to him.

Ever since Carly and Sam left, Spencer stayed away from him primarily because he didn't want to be reminded of all the years where he did nothing but sit on his ass. He'd fallen into a depression when his artwork failed to pay the bills and his father cut off funding that was intended for law school, but was being used to pay rent instead.

The market for teachers was low enough, but the market for Art teachers was even lower. The best thing he could find was that of a paralegal, but that meant he needed to clean up his act.

"I swear to god that man was a lot nicer before he 'matured'." Freddie pulled down his cap and moved along the street, ignoring the feeling of eyes watching his every move. "Nevel's mother put him in an insane asylum, and somehow he broke out. He's smart enough to do it, but he would have needed help. He would have needed muscle…"

Freddie snapped his fingers and looked up to the blue sky. "Sam mentioned hearing Gibby in the background when she was contacted by Nevel, which is how I know they were hanging out. This had to be shortly after his escape-but I need clues to decipher if Gibby had anything to do with that."

The best thing he had was a statement from Gibby saying that Nevel 'reached out' to him that day.

A metallic crash sounded off from behind and he twisted around to see a fallen trash bin. His eyes narrowed and he returned to his walk with a huff. "I have to know."

* * *

Spencer does seem to be grumpy. Well, it seems Freddie may be on to something. I'm going to throw you a bone here, the ultimate truth behind what Nora's doing is something that has yet to be discovered. Gibby's hatred for Sam, and Nevel's still brewing envy and distaste for Carly may be a front, but something Spencer and Freddie discussed may allude to the deeper role they all play.


	7. Messy Clues

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 7 (Messy Clues)

Gibby's home was amazingly empty and bland in appearance. It was a small apartment that Gibby purchased under his father's offer to pay rent. The walls were bare, the floor was covered in stains of varying colors, and the furniture reeked of smoke. "No wonder he's never invited anyone over."

Currently Gibby was away at work. He worked for Walmart as a maintenance worker and didn't go to college. The only reason Freddie made it inside was because Gibby's girlfriend was told to wait for him to come home. "Do you want me to tell Gibby you were here?" Freddie raised an eyebrow at the buxom blonde and shook his head.

"No." The girl was wearing a pink, see-through gown and barely had on a bra and thongs. "Why are you wearing that?"

"Oh I could take it off if you'd like!"

"No thanks!" He turned away and cleared his throat. "I was just wondering why you weren't in something a little more…modest." The girl giggled and walked over to the couch with darkened stains.

"Because Gibby likes me to dress like this, silly." He scrunched his nose and resisted the urge to vomit. He thought about Sam to keep himself above the temptation to look at this woman's scanty outfit. "What are you here for?"

"Um, well, Gibby…" He rubbed the back of his head, searching for a response. After several seconds, he snapped his fingers and grinned at the woman. "Gibby asked that I come over and clean up his place a little bit. I wasn't going to so I thought I'd surprise him, but you absolutely cannot tell him I was over here. Alright?"

"Okay." She crossed her legs and set her elbow on the top of the sofa, then pushed her fingers through her hair. Her breasts seemed to bulge with every movement, causing Freddie's body to heat up. "Can I offer you a drink?"

"No. You know what, not a chance." He sucked the air in through his clenched teeth and darted his eyes around the room. "The apartment complex has a pool, right?"

"It does."

"Maybe you can, um, go swimming for a while?"

"Oh but is that okay to leave you here alone?"

He tugged his cap down and pushed his hands into the pockets of his brown jacket. "I promise I'm not going to take anything, I'm only here to inve-clean!" He cleared his throat and looked away, whistling to himself. The girl lifted her head up and giggled at him.

"Okay silly, I'll go swimming. I'm wearing my bathing suit anyway because I wanted to jump in the pool when you showed up."

"Awesome." He hunched over the table next to him and clenched his eyes shut as he ground his teeth together. When he opened his eyes, he was startled by the ashtray beneath him. _"When did Gibby start smoking? I thought that was beneath him, bloody liar."_

When the girl left the apartment, he stood straight and stared at the door with a dumbfounded look. "Jesus Gibby, you really know how to pick 'em. Sam's nowhere _near_ that stupid. Eh, if it fits with your fantasy of controlling, then fine…it helps with my investigation."

He made his way into the bedroom where a foul stench blew him away. He grabbed his nose as his stomach flipped about violently. "Christ almighty! How the hell does that dame even stand to be in this place!" As his eyes watered, he pulled his shirt collar over his nose and mouth then looked around the room. There were plates of old food scattered about, along with clothes that contributed to the stench.  
"Damn Gibby, you either like controlling blonde chicks or you hate them. Which the fuck is it?"

Fighting the odor, he made his way to the end table where Gibby's model head was. It felt like he was taking a bath in filth, a position he never thought he'd find himself in. "Okay, what is it about this head. Something Nevel did, let's find out." He picked up the head carefully and turned it around, looking for anything that would imply foreign trickery.

As his thumbs brushed against the bare spot above the right ear, he noticed a space being pressed inwards. When this space was pressed in, the red pupils would appear like the light of a camera. He was startled to the point he nearly dropped the head on the ground.

"Okay, so what would be the point of this addition? Why would he put this in?" The memory of his sudden illness brought forth the possibility of the head having to do with it. The sensation started in the head and he would have lost consciousness had it not been for Sam's ringtone breaking him. "A sort of hypnosis, maybe? Mind control."

It could also have to do with the trancelike state that Mrs. Papperman had been in when he saw her. Freddie lowered the head and turned his eyes to the side, whispering to himself. "Has Nevel been tampering with mind control?" It certainly could be used to help someone escape from an asylum, or even capture a person.

After returning the head to its proper location, he backed up slowly and looked about the bedroom. "I don't know what I'm looking for, so I'm not sure I want to dig through this mess." He had to consider what his father might do, and with that, he walked over to Gibby's desk and crouched down with a sickened groan.

His eye caught sight of something glinting from the bedroom light, it was a gold circle on the back of an envelope. Freddie recognized this from an invitation Nevel sent out to Carly many years ago.

"Strange." He picked up the envelope and turned up the flap. There was a paper that had been loosely folded and stuffed back into the envelope. He removed the page and read the words aloud. "Gibby, in a few weeks mother plans to stuff me in an asylum, I know we have never seen eye to eye but as you're well aware, a mutual friend has need of us. I'm going to need your strength when mother puts me in this place, but I'd first like to make some modifications to that model head of yours, I believe it will prove a great deal of aid when I am put in that desolate prison. Please bring it to my house, we will go over my escape from inevitable captivity. This should also prove useful for the plans of our…mutual friend. Meet me at our friend's chosen warehouse on Smith and Grayson. We'll go over our plans there."

Freddie's blood ran cold and he quickly snapped a photo of the letter before stuffing it back into the envelope and placing it where it was before. "So they _are_ working together, at least to bust Nevel out of that place." He rubbed his chin and turned his eyes to a strange brown, sticky stain beside him. "Who is this 'mutual friend' and what do they have to do with anything?"

He wasn't going to find anything out here that he didn't already know, but whatever Nevel planned to do with the head was unknown to Freddie. He couldn't be sure it had anything to do with mind manipulation, at least not on assumption alone.

"So Nevel is the brains of the operation and Gibby is the muscle. That's not surprising."

He pushed himself up and looked down on the desk where another letter remain seated. It had some yellow and red stains on it and was seated in a strange liquid that bled through the papers, almost erasing entirely the words in the letter.

From what he could make of it, the letter was from Nevel as well, thanking Gibby for his help getting out of the asylum. Freddie's eyebrows shot up and he moved his gloved hand up over his mouth. "Their mutual friend fell on hard times and they need to plan another escape? What does that mean?"

Freddie heard the apartment's front door open and quickly pressed his back against the wall beside the bedroom door. "Shit." He poked his head around the corner, gazing out into the living room. His heart stalled when he saw Gibby following the girl inside.

"I hope you don't mind that I went for a swim," The girl said as she twirled her finger in her long blonde hair. "I was getting hot while waiting for you."

"Well did you cool down?" Gibby placed his hands on her hips and pulled her against his body, chuckling softly while looking into her eyes. "Or are you still hot and waiting?"

"I'm glad you got off work early."

"Kiss me." He smirked and the girl obliged by moving her arms around his neck and lifting herself up to kiss him. Freddie turned away and lifted his eyes skyward, shaking his head.

"I need a way out," he whispered. He looked around the room and grinned when he saw an open window. "Well I'll be damned, it's my lucky day."

"I hope you like it rough," Gibby's voice startled Freddie and he quickly looked over his shoulder in time to see the man smack his girlfriend's butt. The girl giggled playfully as he pointed to his crotch. "Let's start off with this."

"Okay." The girl slid down to her knees and reached for Gibby's belt, laughing joyously in the process.

"And that's my cue." Freddie bolted for the window and hesitated when he saw a large amount of dried soda splashed on the windowsill and dripping out the back. "Oh goddamn it, I need a bath after this."

He heard a growl from the living room and instantly forgot about the stain. "At least I've got gloves on." He grabbed the windowsill and pushed himself out, but struck the wall with his foot. "Shit!"

"The hell was that?" Gibby called out. Freddie crouched below the window and crawled into a nearby bush where he covered his mouth. The vile stench returned to him and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he groaned into his glove.

Gibby extended out of the window, holding the sides with his hands and looking around. His face was twisted into a sneer and his eyes were narrow. "There's no one out there," the girl called from inside, "Come on baby. Let's finish."

The man chuckled and looked over his shoulder with a dangerous smirk. "Ah words were never so sweet." Freddie winced as the window slammed shut.

He waited for several minutes then rose up out of the bushes, dusting his pants and jacket off. "Maybe I should listen to Sam, Spencer, and that girl from the witness protection who tell me to let the cops handle this…" His eyes moved to the window and his stomach churned at the crashes and laughter heard from inside. "At least now I know he helped Nevel, but who's the 'mutual friend'? Also, a warehouse on Smith street? Maybe I should check it out…"

He tugged on his jacket and started walking towards the wire fence, but stopped when he heard a huffing sound. His eyes trailed to the right, where he saw a doghouse. "Oh right, this complex allows pets…" Inside the doghouse was a large Doberman, sleeping on its side.

On the top of the doghouse was a sign that read _Jaws._ "Oh…shit…" Freddie put his hand on top of his hat and bolted out of the yard as fast as he could.

* * *

One lucky son of a gun, even luckier that dog was asleep. So amid Gibby's filthy home and his ever so ditzy girlfriend were some curious letters proving correspondence and the existence of a "mutual friend".


	8. Precarious Situation

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 8 (Precarious Situation)

Nevel's place wasn't so difficult since his mother let Freddie enter. He was still disturbed by the woman's empty eyes and stopped himself partway through greeting her when she walked back to the couch. "I bet that chip of his has something to do with how you're acting. I could remove it, but Nevel might figure something's up…" He approached the woman and sat next to her, studying the chip on her neck carefully.

It was unlike any piece of technology he'd ever seen before . If he studied some of Nevel's technology, he could potentially become well versed enough to combat him should the need ever arise. It was irritating that some of his technical smarts had fallen in the last couple of years. "Too many days at the gym and not enough fiddling around with computers." At the very least, the woman's trance allowed for him to snoop about without problem.

He slipped carefully into the basement and stepped with care on the off chance Nevel might be inside. He bent to gaze over the stairwell and was relieved to see an empty basement. He already was aware Nevel was out at the library, since he saw the man there. In recent days he spent all his time researching.

Freddie cut off the power to the basement earlier, so it was dark. This was the only way to ensure any cameras didn't catch him meddling about.

He pulled a flashlight from his overcoat and made his way to Nevel's computer desk. "Okay, I've already found ties to your little buddy, almost got my ass caught in the process. Thank god Nevel's place is cleaner."

As he studied the paperwork on the desk, he couldn't help but notice a failsafe code Nevel had for all of his work. It was a code to internally destroy one of his inventions should something ever go wrong. "One code for everything? For such a genius, he sure isn't the smartest." He removed his phone and took a picture of the code, then continued to further search through Nevel's material.

While reading through a journal, he couldn't help but to hear an annoying rattle. His eyes drifted up from the book and he scanned the area with his flashlight, but could see nothing. "Strange." He turned the light back onto the book and held his breath as he read the words.

_It's time to meet up with the boss, she has promised me vengeance on Carly, but this means I have to work with that moron Gibby. At least he's good for something. I'm not sure why she's issued his help though, he's the person that destroyed her plans the first time-but as long as she sees value, fine._

"No." Freddie moved his hand over his mouth and turned his head up, ignoring the incessant rattling that was blocking his thoughts. "He can't mean _her_." Nora could not do anything from prison, or so he hoped. If Gibby and Nevel were in cahoots with her, then they would only be guard dogs without teeth.

Concentrating was a struggle as the rattling noise furthered its annoyance in his mind. "Electronics are powered off down here, so what the hell is making that noise?" His eyes narrowed and he returned to the journal.

_Gibson and I are to secure a warehouse where the captives will all be placed. What she intends to do with the hostages, we're not sure. She claims a desire to hold them for ransom. Strange, because between Benson's mother, Carly's brother, and Sam's mom, the only one worth anything is Carly's brother…who is a paralegal now. However, Miss Shay's father could be important. Unlike the nurse and the mentally deranged nut sack of a mother that is Sam's mom. I should ask sometime, why do we know so little of her father or Carly's mother?_

Freddie looked up and squinted his eyes in thought. He always figured since Carly's mom had been in the military too, that she may have passed on, but he didn't know. As for Sam's father, he left when she was young, wanted nothing to do with them.

Nevel had a point, there was little sense in holding them for ransom. None of their relatives were influential or even people of power. Granted, Spencer _was_ now a paralegal for Seattle's most powerful attorney. "So, maybe they want to grab Carly and force a ransom-maybe not in profit but if it's Nora, she could want him to convince the attorneys he works for to free her parents!" He snapped his fingers and moved his hand up to his forehead.

"I should warn Sp-" The rattling sounded off again and he threw his hand down, growling angrily. "What the hell is that noise!" He grumbled and dismissed the thought. His fingers moved in circles on his forehead as he thought about the warehouse mentioned. "Probably the same warehouse in Gibby's letter from Nevel."

Just then the lights flickered back on and the computers proceeded to echo with loud hums. Startled, Freddie jumped behind the desks, hiding in the narrow crevice between the wall and desk. "Damn mother," Nevel muttered over the hums, "Probably shut off my basement power to spite me. Hell, she even made up some stupid sounding disease just throw me in an asylum. Whoever heard of 'porcu-pox'!"

The stairs creaked as Nevel descended. Freddie put his hand to his chest and winced as his heart started to pound. Unlike Gibby's place, there was no easy escape route. The only thing was a small rectangular window that he could potentially squeeze through, but it was on the other side of the room and above some stacked crates.

_"How did I get myself into this position? Oh right! I had to be stupid enough to come down here. I can't risk getting caught now!"_

His hands began to sweat as he watched Nevel's feet move across the floor. They stopped and turned away. Freddie went to wipe his brow and froze when the rattling noise was heard at a louder intensity.

Slowly Freddie turned his head and paled when he looked into the cage seated against the wall beside the desk. Inside was a rattlesnake, coiled up and facing him. Its tail was vibrating and its tongue was flicking in and out. "Did he trade his stupid porcupine in for a snake?" His hair was clinging to his skin and sweat was now pouring down his trembling body. "Shh snake, don't make a sound. I'm trying not to get caught here…"

The snake swayed to the right, then to the left, its tongue still flick in and out. So long as the snake stayed in the cage, Freddie could be relieved. _"Probably doesn't even have venom."_ His eyes drifted to a large pile of remains in the cage and his sweating increased. White fur was littered about the cage, indicative that Nevel likely fed live animals to the snake. In which case, it could still be venomous.

He swallowed down his nervousness and glanced back through the slit in the desk. Nevel's feet had turned back to face the desk, and Freddie could hear what sounded like papers rustling. "Great, so I've got the blueprints for the plane but they're not ready to fly out. That's fine, I've still got to figure a way to keep it off radars. How the hell am I going to do that?"

_"What could he want with a plane or keeping one off radars?"_ An undetected plane could fly anywhere. His heart sank as he considered the use. _"Carly. Nevel wants to go after Carly. His 'team' isn't wanting to do that first thing, though? Why?"_

He had to consider the possibility of Nora's leadership, as well as Gibby's involvement. In which case, Sam had already put a stop to Nora, and Gibby didn't like her. He didn't want to think Gibby would do anything to Sam, but if Nora was able to manipulate them, then it was an opportunity.

"We need to deal with the easier task first," Nevel muttered, "Even if we got to Italy…we would still have to get into the base that Carly lives with her father. Then to kidnap her and take her away from that base, we have to fly back here and put her in the warehouse. It's not an easy task! We should focus our efforts on Sam or Freddie first."

Nevel's feet moved away and Freddie leaned down to get a clearer view. When he did, he could see Nevel talking on his phone. This was a benefit, since Nevel wasn't too aware. He slid his gaze to the window and began a mental map of an escape route.

His thoughts were cut when he heard his phone start to chime. Thinking fast he grabbed it and put it to his ear. "What!" He hissed in a quick whisper.

"Well that's a new greeting," Sam replied. Freddie winced and he instantly bowed his head. "I was just calling to check up on you."

"Sorry Sam, I'm in a bit of a situation right now." He smiled gently and closed his eyes. "It's good to hear from you."

"Yeah…so why are you whispering?"

"No reason."

"Is everything okay?"

"Fine. Don't worry about me." He tapped his fingers slowly on the floor and checked on Nevel. Fortunately for him, Nevel was still talking on the phone. "You uh, you remember that time we all got trapped in Ms. Briggs's closet?" He began to relax, ignoring the precarious situation he was in.

"Oh god yes." Sam chuckled once and released a heavy sigh. "I remember even then, in the middle of danger, you still hit on Carly."

"Would you rather me have hit on you?"

"At that time? No." He smirked playfully and lifted his eyebrows, curious at the phrasing of her statement. "I think I would have preferred you be more focused on the situation we had been in, and not on the girl that wasn't going to reciprocate your obsessive love for her."

"I suppose it would be nice having you here with me right now. A beautiful woman would definitely make things a lot better, considering I'm sort of in a situation similar to that time."

There was a pause, followed by an anxious sigh. "What trouble did you get yourself into now, and are you _seriously_ flirting with me?"

"I wouldn't say flirting so much as stating facts." He looked to the snake in the cage and frowned as its eyes burned into him. "Having you here with me would make this day a whole lot better…you don't even know." As well as a much better, safer, and more beautiful companion than what was now staring at him like a piece of food.

Even now, he'd rather see Gibby's Doberman instead of a rattlesnake, considering he was much more receptive to dogs than reptiles.

"Freddie."

"You know I'd never do anything to hurt you, right?" There was a sigh on Sam's end, followed by the sound of a dish hitting a counter.

"You're in Seattle, and I'm in LA. Your mother's sick, you need to focus on her right now. If you're serious about…how you feel, then please, stop flirting around with me. I don't like it, and I don't like you acting lovesick like you did with Carly."

"I'm sorry, I just, in this moment you know. I'll stop if it makes you uncomfortable."

"Please. Just-" He sensed hesitation in her voice and held his breath as she paused. He could hear items being moved around on her end, and the microwave in the background going off. "I'm not going to tell you I don't see anything between us, but if anything were to happen, just let it happen at its own pace. Okay?"

His eyebrows rose and he slowly nodded. "Are you saying there's a chance?"

"God, I don't know. I just, it's hard to explain. I felt something for you once, okay? I thought it meant something, and you know damn well I'm not good with emotions. I don't know how I feel, but you telling me how much you miss me, or that I'm 'beautiful' is not helping. Besides, you're a thousand miles away, and I would love for you to be closer. What I want doesn't matter, I just don't do well with relationships that have distance involved."

Freddie heard a shuffling noise in the room and glanced back to Nevel. "Hold on," Nevel spoke. His heart stopped and he held his breath as Nevel walked slowly towards the snake's cage. "Hello Fuzzles, do you smell a rat? Is that what's got you all worked up?"

"Oh no."

"What?" Sam asked quickly. Freddie shut his eyes and whispered.

"Not you Sam, um, can I call you back in a couple of minutes?"

"I guess so. Sure." She hung up and Freddie shoved his phone into his pocket. A wave of guilt punched him in the gut, but it was for the best in this moment.

"Here you go Fuzzles, I'll let you out to catch the rat." Freddie's eyes widened as Nevel opened the cage. His sweating increased as the boy left the basement.

"Fuzzles, is it?" Freddie backed up slowly as the snake began to slither towards the exit. "You don't want to bite me, I um…I taste bad! Right!" He shot up and struck his head on the side of the desk. His hand moved up to the sore spot as pain shot through his body. "Christ. I'm not a rat!"

Then again, Nevel was likely aware of this.

Freddie pressed his back against the nearby wall and looked to the escape window above the crates. His chest heaved and the arteries in his throat seemed to bulge from his neck. "What kind of sick bastard names his sorry ass snake _Fuzzles?"_

As the snake began to slither around the desk, Freddie slowly removed his jacket. "This is going to be painful." The snake coiled itself and lifted its head off the ground, swaying back and forth.

While eyeing the snake, Freddie tied his jacket sleeves into a knot, then held the edges. The creature's hiss struck a painful chord in him, and paralyzed him with fear. He started to blink, struggling to keep the sweat out of his eyes. "Sam implied a chance in the future, so damn you to hell if you think you're going to bite me, _Fuzzles!"_

As the snake shot forward, Freddie lunged towards it. In a quick motion he threw the jacket over the snake and pulled it up like a burlap sack, holding it so all openings were closed.

His body trembled as he watched the imprint of the snake move along the jacket. "S-S-Shit." Thinking fast, he proceeded to slam the jacket on the ground, trying not to scream out in terror with each swing. "I hate snakes!"

Freddie hurried towards the window once he felt the jacket go limp. He climbed the crates and held his arms out to the sides while fighting to maintain balance.

After pushing the window open he began to climb, freezing when he heard a rattling noise. "It's still alive, isn't it?" His heart sank and he let the jacket fall open. The snake fell onto the floor and slithered back to the cage.

With that, Freddie pulled himself from the window and bent over, grabbing his knees as heavy pants fell from his lips.

Moments later, he was running down the street to the nearest cleaners where he planned to have his jacket washed. Once there, he dialed Sam and struggled to catch his breath. When she answered, her vocal inflection seemed more annoyed than joyous. "And now you call me while breathing heavily."

"Sorry, I just got done running for my life."

"What? Freddie, tell me what's going on!"

"Snake. Just a stupid, venomous, snake." He chuckled nervously and wiped his brow. "You know how I get with snakes."

"Are you okay? He didn't bite you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Sam let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god. Do I even want to know what you were doing around any kind of snake?"

"Probably not." He sat down on a bench beside a dryer and took a deep breath. His hand circled his knee and his back left a sweaty imprint on the wall behind him. "Sam, I just want to let you know…if it bothers you so much when I say things like you're beautiful or that I miss you, then I'll say them less. That doesn't mean they're not true, and it doesn't mean I'm just saying it loosely for nothing."

"Freddie…"

"I mean it. I care for you, and in a way that I've never cared about anyone. Even Carly. I don't want you to think I'm obsessed, because I'm not. I want to be with you, not for any trivial reason. Not because I can't have Carly or something stupid like that, but because of you."

The pause that followed was nervewracking and to the point he had to check and make sure their call was still going on. Eventually, he received a response. "Okay."

"I respect you, Sam. I think you're an amazing person. Yes you're a little rough around the edges, but I don't care. I don't care if people think you're a little rude just because you speak your mind and you don't conform to the way society thinks you should be…You're who you are, and you're beautiful for that." He looked towards the jacket lying beside him and chuckled softly. "If there's even a slight chance that you and I could ever get back together, that's great. I would wait for you, but I'll respect your wishes and stop acting like a stupid romantic whenever we talk."

"I…appreciate that. Thank you. I really do need time to sort things out." His heart lifted up and he smiled in the distance. "Look, call me if you need anything okay? I hope Mrs. Benson is alright."

"Thanks."

"Bye for now."

"Bye." He pulled the phone away and set it gently in his lap, watching as the call signal popped off. His eyes closed and his chest fell with a relieved huff. "Sure Freddie, let's investigate Nevel's home. Such a great idea…God, I am an idiot."

* * *

Snakes, why is it always snakes!-a quote from a friend of mine. Well Freddie found some clues, and the talk with Sam seems to be a step in the right direction where at least he knows a little about how she feels. Now, I believe the next chapter is the emotional tear jerk, so be prepared


	9. Be a Simple Man

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N: This is an emotional chapter, and maybe a tad inspired by Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man". Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 9 (Be a Simple Man)

"You understand why she's so hesitant?" Freddie watched his mom twirl her spaghetti on her fork and lifted it up, hovering it away from her lip. "She's known you for a very long time, which means she's seen you fawn over a variety of girls, not just her best friend."

"You think she's afraid I'll cheat on her?"

"I think to her, there's a very real possibility that you're not ready for a serious relationship like she might need, and you might decide after a certain amount of time that she's not right for you and dump her for somebody else. The problem of fidelity is always an issue, and it's difficult when you live a thousand miles away from somebody to trust them to be faithful. That's more true when fidelity has already been an issue."

He moved his hand to his chest and shook his head. "I've never cheated on anyone." Marissa slipped her fork into her mouth and closed her eyes. As she removed it, her eyelids parted and she glanced to the glass of water.

"What is one glass of wine, Freddie dear?"

"You're dying."

"So let your mother enjoy her dinner while she has opportunity." Marissa took a deep breath and leaned back in the wooden chair. She swept her hair from her face and looked to Freddie as though peering through him. "Understanding a woman is a difficult thing, Freddie. While you may never have actively cheated on her-and you do know Sam _was_ cheated on-you went between her and Carly. You gave Sam her first kiss, while continuing your crush on Carly. You then proceeded to date her, and-"

"I know what happened. Carly said something, so I had a talk with Sam…we ended the relationship."

"To you, to probably most men, it seems innocent enough. To a woman, you just stabbed her in the heart. Why?" Freddie rolled his eyes and looked to the side, struggling with the guilt over an answer he already had two years to mull over.

"I didn't think to try and work on the relationship with Sam, and let something Carly said or did or whatever…influence me. Sam's best friend and the girl that I'd constantly obsessed with for so many years."

"And what happened after that? Don't forget I was standing right there when those elevator doors opened."

"I started making out with her after we broke up…" It felt like he was on trial with his mother, but she was right to bring this up. To make him think. This showed him it was necessary for him to not pressure Sam. If anything would happen, it would happen when she was ready. "Then when Carly left, I spoke with Sam on the phone and asked if she wanted to go out again. She sounded surprised."

"You can figure out why. You didn't have to cheat on her to have an affair that would crush her. You just had to end a relationship based on the words said by the very person you spent so long pining after. Before you even had a chance to take that relationship out of the honeymoon phase, you were done."

"Honeymoon phase, mom? I thought that was just something people said."

"You want to be a big time investigator like your father, you should know the truth to that by now. The 'honeymoon phase' is just the point of a relationship-the beginning-where one person can see no fault of the other person. It's the point of a relationship that exists that gives birth to the phrase 'love is blind'. It is also the immature point."

"The mature point is?"

"When you open your eyes, see that the other person is not perfect, but you love them despite their flaws. You also don't let other people have a say in a relationship between two people. That means that even back when I didn't care for her, you should not let _me_ influence who you date and certainly not Carly-even if she is a close friend. A love is between two, not three-not four, just you and the other person. Make decisions together, accept each other, grow together and love one another. Honeymoon phase exists because lovers need to be blind at first…"

Freddie's body relaxed and he stared down at his plate of spaghetti with an unfocused gaze. "I was unfair to her. She could do better than me, couldn't she?"

"I wouldn't put yourself down like that, but if she chooses to get back together with you, then you understand that she chose to do that on her own free will."

"Yes. So what do you think I should do?"

"You've already told her how you feel, agreed not to push any further. That's the good, mature thing to do. It's easy to want her to be with you, and it's easy to want to persist. Some girls like a man who persists, others do not. In this case you've put the ball in her court, so leave it at that."

"Do you think it would be too much for me to go to the University of California?"

"In Los Angeles?" Marissa raised an eyebrow and glanced to her plate as she twirled her spaghetti on her fork. "Go to whatever college you want. If it's there, great. If it's in New York, that is fine too."

"I want to go there." It wasn't solely for Sam that he wanted to attend, but she did play a factor. That said, he also wanted to make sure she would be okay with it, and she already told him it wouldn't matter to her. "I don't want to leave you behind though, not if you're sick."

Marissa reached over and cupped her hand over his. "Do not worry about me, Freddie." He pulled his hand away when she gave him a sad smile. "You need to live your life. You've been wanting your own life, independence, for so long. You've never been one to stay in one place, just like your dad, you need to expand."

"But-"

"Wherever life leads you, I'll always be with you." His heart broke and he pulled his hand beneath the table in an attempt to disguise his trembling. "I'm going to let them hospitalize me, and I don't want you restricting yourself here because of me. I just want you to be happy, and the best way to make me happy is for you to follow your dreams, your heart. I don't want to die knowing you were worried about me and not living your life because of me."

"How will I know they're looking after you? How will I know they're not just neglecting you?"

"Freddie, the doctors and nurses there are people who I work with. People who have known me for years. They are the most professional, caring staff there is." She smiled at him and winked. "I'll be taken care of. You need to move on, to grow, and you're not going to do that by fussing over your mother."

"I guess."

"Well. That, and no woman wants a man that's still attached to his mother. The fact that you already have an overbearing single mother is a strike against you." He winced as she laughed. "It's time for you to put your big boy pants on and grow up." He sank in his seat as his mother laughed again. "Oh that sounds just like what those two girls have been telling you. I tell you, dying gives you a whole new perspective on life…"

"How can you handle it so…so well?"

"Because I've been a depressed lunatic all my life, Freddie. I don't want to die with a scowl permanently etched on my face." Freddie's stomach tightened and he reached for his fork.

"I feel like I've just pushed you away all my life, and now you're going to…" His voice cracked and his eyes. "I'm sorry for brushing you off so much. I know you tried your best, I just thought you were so overbearing."

"Freddie." He looked up as his mother pulled his hands forward and clasped them together inside her own. "No matter what, I'll always love you, and you'll always be my son. What do I want most of all? To see you happy, to see you moving on…Take Samantha for instance, if you and her were to get together, why would that make me happy? Because I know, no matter what, you're going to live your life with somebody else. I'll always be with you, and I know that if you do your best to push yourself ahead in life, you will live a long and happy life. Knowing that would put a smile on my face, it would make me as proud of you as I am at this very minute."

"You should be here though, physically. I've pushed you away for so long that it isn't fair-"

"Who can blame you?" She curved the corner of her lip up and a trembling sensation wracked his body. It amazed him that in the face of death, his mother could have developed such a wit. She raised a finger and looked him square in the eyes. "Don't you blame yourself. Don't you ever blame yourself, you are not responsible for your momma. I can laugh, I can enjoy myself because I know what's coming. I can choose to mull over it or I can enjoy my last moments…knowing that you will be okay. There's not a thing we can do to change what's going to happen."

"I know." His hands closed and he fought back his tears, clenching his teeth as his chest trembled. "I just wish-"

"Wishing won't do any good." Marissa leaned over and gently kissed his forehead. He breathed in slowly and turned his eyes up to her. "Just promise me, promise me you'll live your life."

"I don't know what to do, though."

"Survive. That's all that's expected. Go out into the world and live. Fall in love, get a career, start a family and raise your children with love and respect. Grow old with someone, have grandchildren, and when you're an old man-make sure you've lived your life without regrets. Make sure you've seen the world, make sure you've gone on adventures, done all the things you've wanted to. Aim for your dreams, accomplish your goals, raise a happy family, and then let go. When you let go, do so knowing you're happy, knowing that your children will move on to do the same…"

"And you? Mom you're dying at-"

"I'm almost sixty, Freddie." Marissa reached up and smoothed his hair back with her fingers. "You and your older brother share a lot of the same problems, both of you were premature." He furrowed his brow and glanced down at his plate.

"It's been a long time since you brought him up." Joshua passed away a year before Freddie was born, though, so he never brought him up. Like Freddie, he had a weak immune system, but he never grew out of it. Pneumonia ended up taking his life when he was ten.

"I've had a lot of problems in my lifetime, and I've seen a lot of miscarried births. You're a fighter, a survivor. I'd like to think that I had a hand at doing that, being so overprotective, but I think Carly and Sam played more of a role than I did."

"Why?"

"Because they're the ones that got you out in the world, the ones that made you build yourself up. You're a strong man, Freddie, and I have every bit of faith in you. I die knowing that you outlived any and all possible siblings, I die knowing that I won't bury another person I love." He looked in her moist eyes and attempted a mournful smile.

"You used to hate Carly, to hate Sam. Now I want to be with Sam, and you don't complain?"

"Just the thought of you with any woman makes me happy. If it's Sam, I'm okay with that because I know you're with someone that makes you happy. Find a woman, and you'll find love, and when you find that you'll start to be happy. I want nothing more than to know you'll be happy in life after I die…"

His tears broke through and he bowed his head, trembling as they burned his cheeks. Speaking was hard enough, but now he couldn't muster a single word. Marissa rose up and walked over to him. She placed an arm around him, hugging him close. "I love you, Freddie."

"Love you too…mom."

"I'm proud of you, I'll always be proud of you." She kissed the top of his head and hugged him close. "Always."

* * *

Well there you have it, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Do tell, and prepare for the next.


	10. Actions Not Taken

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 10 (Actions Not Taken)

The week went by at a slower pace than most for Freddie, he left Sam alone for the most part and stayed away from either Gibby or Nevel. While that held true, he still tried to investigate what he knew. Even now he sat before Spencer once more, trying to warn him of what he'd found.

"I know I might sound a little like a lunatic Spence, but you need to hear me out." Spencer was leaning to the right, with his arm bent at an angle on the arm rest and his finger rubbing a circle in his temple. "I really believe you need to warn Carly and Mr. Shay to get somewhere safe."

Spencer lifted his head from the finger and pulled his lips back into his cheeks. "Let's say for a minute that I believe you." Freddie's eyebrows curled up in the middle and his mouth turned down as Spencer leaned forward and clasped his hands together on the desk. "Let's say that Nevel is so driven for revenge because you people ruined his show many years ago that he's building some sort of super plane to fly to Italy and kidnap my sister for ransom-somehow lifting her out of an _Air Force Military Base_." He cocked a smirk and leaned back, chuckling softly. "And he's going to do this completely unseen by even military radar."

"Okay so maybe when you put it that way…" Carly could be in the safest place as any of them. If that was the case, then it was potentially as Nevel said, and they'd turn their sights on either him or onto Sam. Sam was safer in LA than Seattle right now, and he'd been pissing Gibby and Nevel off enough as it was. If they truly were a threat, then they'd go for him.

"Freddie. Why do this? Is this another one of your _cockamamie _plots to win back my sister by trying to rescue her?"

"No! Besides, I love Sam." Spencer froze and studied him with wide eyes and one arched eyebrow. His burning gaze filled Freddie with great discomfort, only heightened once Spencer broke out laughing.

"Oh god I don't know who to feel worse for. You, or her. At least you're not still obsessing over my little sister, I'd hate to have to hire one of my bosses."

"Wha-well Sam's a lot more toned down, but it doesn't matter. I care about her."

"Then I feel sorry for her." Spencer's shoulders rose and he closed his eyes, speaking with nonchalance. "Before I gave her that bike, she told me about the fight you and her had. And the whole issue between you, her and my sister. She felt moving away would be best for everyone. She even contemplated it _before_ Carly was to move with Dad."

"What? Why?"

"Because she still loved you." His heart sank as Spencer reached for his coffee mug. "She still loved you, you loved Carly, and she didn't want to stick around for that. She made plans to leave and was going to wait until after dad went back to Italy before announcing it."

"How did you even find out?"

"Because I'm the one she came to for advice. I'm the one that gave her that bike and told her to do what she thought was best." Now it made sense to him why Sam would be so confused and so conflicted, and why she'd be so uncertain. He didn't like it, but giving her some space might help her. "You know what they say. If you love someone, let go if that makes them happy. She let go, and now you're pushing back again, aren't you?" Spencer crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm giving her space, Spencer."

"Freddie. I'm only going to tell you this once. I should have told you this from the start with Carly, but since you're over her…Sam became like a sister to me, so I think it's alright when I say this." Spencer lifted his hand and pointed a long index finger at Freddie. His nose crinkled and his narrow glare sharpened. "Don't fuck around with that girl's heart, don't screw around with her mind. If you're sincere and you mean it, great-but don't you dare lead her on."

"I won't!" He rubbed his forehead and groaned in frustration. "Look, I didn't just come here because I wanted you to warn Carly and your father and I didn't come to be scolded for past mistakes. I want help, I want to protect Sam and Carly, and I have a hunch that Gibby and Nevel are working with Nora."

"Can you prove that?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't actually heard either of them mention her name and I've seen nothing that implies her involvement aside from 'mutual friend'."

"That does leave it rather vague. You also realize that nothing you find can actually be used in the court of law because you're not an actual investigator at this point. Right? Anything you show me or tell me, I can do nothing with. Then again, I can do nothing with it anyway because I am only a paralegal. You want legal aid, you look to one of my three bosses. You want something notarized, I do have some leeway there-so unless you have a will to sign, Freddie boy…I've got nothing to give you. I'm sorry."

"Thanks Spence, you've been a great help." He rolled his eyes and pushed himself up from the chair. "What the hell happened to you, man?" Spencer's face grew flat and he slowly smacked his lips.

"Carly moved, and I grew up." Spencer's finger flicked off to the right and his cheeks sank further. "The police department is right down the street. They are the first stop for citizens who feel a crime is taking place. The law firm is not-unless your case is a civil matter. Feel free to pay them a visit."

Freddie grabbed his jacket and watched as Spencer checked the golden watch on his wrist. "Sergeant Mikol will be getting off his bagels and coffee break in approximately thirty minutes. I know this because Einstein Bagels is right across the street."

He spoke with such disdain that Freddie was beside himself with shock. There was no way this man was the same man he grew up remembering. "Jesus, you must hate your life." Spencer sipped on his coffee and then returned it slowly to the desk.

"Benson. I got my degree and went to law school, I _dropped out_ of law school and college entirely to build sculptures and paint for little kids. Some people bought my artwork, was it enough to pay the bills? No, so I lied to my father for nearly a decade until he finally found out and lived irresponsibly with my kid sister and her friends. I was practically evicted from my apartment…let's not forget the _one woman_ that wanted to be with me despite that I didn't have a real job was a former gamer chick who moved away to another state entirely, and I barely got this job. So maybe I make enough money now, but I'm thirty-two going on three. I'm single, I'm living alone, people _still _refer to me as that 'guy that's related to the girl on iCarly', and I now have no real family." Spencer grinned and spread his hands out. "Am I bitter? By no means!"

Freddie took a small step back as Spencer turned to his computer with a snarky tone. "Now unless you have anything else to say, I'd like to get as much work done as I can before my lunch break in an hour. And no…" He raised his eyebrows and shot a look at Freddie. "I doubt I'm important enough to anybody to kidnap my sister and hold her for ransom. Dad can keep her safer than I ever could."

"I…suppose you're right." He walked out of the office without another word, shaken by Spencer's bitter words. The man was right, Carly would be safe. Gibby and Nevel were still around, which meant they'd not made a single move yet.

Either they were waiting for something, or they were not doing a damn thing. Yet everywhere he went, he felt as though he were being watched. They were investigating him as much as he was investigating them.

"So what _do_ they want? Police won't listen to me because 'no crime has been committed', and I've got enough stress with my mother…what are they waiting for?"

He stopped at the parking meter beside his car and chuckled to himself. "Maybe they're just waiting on me to quit investigating this issue."

Freddie hardly knew what to do if he managed to prove all his suspicions regarding Nevel and Gibby. He managed to finally catch the news and was aware that Nora escaped prison yet again, so this put him on hot coals.

Of course, it would mean the girls were worried as well if they knew.

He needed discernable proof that this 'mutual friend' was Nora, and if he found that out he could take it to the police and they'd investigate then. Yet finding out if they were involved would mean one of two things, asking them himself or going into their homes again.

Neither of which was a good sounding option. In his mind, he could only picture Gibby strangling the life out of him while Nevel prepared some strange device.

"God, I think I need a drink." A strong craving for one of T-Bo's smoothies was calling him. The _Peach Sunset_ flavor had always been his favorite, and it was great for helping him to wind down. "Maybe I'll go for one."

Twenty minutes later he was parking outside the smoothie shop when he saw a yellow taxi dropping someone off. As he exited, he saw a blonde woman paying the driver. She was wearing a thin brown overcoat, a purple shirt underneath, and had a pair of shades covering her eyes.

When she pulled her purse strap up on her shoulder and turned, Freddie recognized her. "Sam?" He started to call out to her, but she was already entering the shop.

As he entered, he caught a glimpse of Gibby sitting close to the register. His heart stopped when Gibby looked up and called out. "Hey! Sam, what are you doing back in Seattle?" Sam stopped before the register and pushed her sunglasses into her purse.

"I was looking for Freddie, he hasn't called me in a week and I wanted to make sure he was okay. His mom said he was out and told me to check in with T-Bo, so yeah. I was concerned about him." Freddie curved his lips upwards and Gibby stood up, laughing once.

"Well it's amazing to see you, I was thinking of telling Freddie he should invite you to come up here for a while. When'd you come in? How long are you staying?" Gibby waved his arm over and Sam started to shake her head. "Come. Come sit down."

"I'd better not, I just want to find Freddie that's all. Do you have any idea where he's at?"

"No, he's probably out digging through trash. God knows that guy's trying to be his father." Gibby walked over to her and reached for her hand, in which she pulled away. "Come on Sam, you need to relax. Did you just get off your plane? I'll buy you a drink."

"Well I am a little jet lagged…" Sam looked to T-Bo and let out a soft sigh. "Peach-Banana sounds good right about now, so maybe I'll just sit down and have one drink. Text Freddie and see if he answers this time."

"Go ahead and call him." Gibby paid T-Bo as Sam walked over to a booth and took her seat. Freddie rummaged through his pocket and looked up, cursing himself for the moment. He'd left his phone in the car. "Though I don't see why you would."

"Well he is a friend. He did tell me I should probably stay away from you, now that I think about it."

"Why?" Gibby chuckled and threw his hands to his chest. "I'm just the same as I've always been. Perhaps he's the one you ought to stay away from." Sam shifted uncomfortably in her seat and began to sift through her purse.

"You know he obsesses over you just like he did Carly, why would you put yourself through that?" Freddie's heart clenched and he started to feel the urge to rush up and punch the man for his remark. Instead, he waited, curious what her reply would be.

"I don't know, I don't think he's like that anymore Gibby. I-I need to see it for myself." Gibby folded his arms over and shrugged.

"Fine." Sam removed her phone and glanced up at him. "You know, I could just take you to him. My car's right outside." Freddie's heart began pounding as the sense of danger that surrounded him intensified.

"No, I'd rather just call him. Let him know I'm here."

"Didn't you say you haven't gotten ahold of him in over a week?"

"Yes…" Gibby let out a grunt and flicked his eyes to the right.

"Call him then."

"Didn't think I needed your permission."

Freddie ran out to grab his phone, unsure why he wasn't just walking up to the group. Though his intention was to avoid Gibby Walking back in, he heard Sam refusing to let Gibby massage her shoulders.

As she moved her phone to her ear, Gibby's hands slid onto her shoulders against her wishes. As Gibby's hands inched closer to Sam's neck, she began to squirm. A paralyzing fear shot through Freddie as he watched T-Bo leave the register to move into his back office and he didn't notice his phone buzzing in his hand.

* * *

Ah seems a cruel place to leave off, but those of you that know me and know Sam probably know Gibby's not getting close.


	11. Some Change is Good

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 11 (Some Change is Good)

"What are you doing!" Sam wiggled away from Gibby and shoved his hands away from her. He tucked his hands into his pocket and cleared his throat as her eyes narrowed onto him. "I said no massage. Don't touch me." Relieved, Freddie rushed outside and dialed Sam's number, figuring out the best way to get her away from Gibby. When she answered, her tone gave way to a great deal of stress and annoyance. "Freddie, I've been trying to reach you."

"Sorry, my phone was on vibrate. What's up?" Freddie peered in the window and saw Gibby sit down across from Sam at the table. Sam turned sideways and hung her elbow over the top of the booth while Gibby glared at her and bumped his thumbs together on the table. "I was on my way to the Groovy Smoothie, actually."

"Oh?" Sam perked up and started to smile. "Well it's been a while since we talked and I was worried. I had a little time and some money to spare, so I flew up to see you. When your mom said you weren't home, she suggested the smoothie shop. I'm there now." He watched Gibby's hand move up over his eyes.

"Sweet. I didn't know you were flying up. Tell you what, I just pulled into the parking lot."

"What? You're here?" She looked around and towards the window, but he wasn't in the area of visibility. Gibby's eyes narrowed and his fingers slowly moved into his palm. "I was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable here by myself. Or well, Gibby's here too actually-he was here when I got here. Nobody else but T-Bo, so maybe if you'd come inside-"

"Why don't you come out here and I'll take you to get some actual food?"

"I don't know." Sam glanced at Gibby and slowly stood up. Her forehead tightened in the middle but her eyes lit up. "Yeah, that'd be okay actually. I'll be right there." When she hung up, Freddie glanced in the window to see what all was going on.

Gibby was motioning to her drink and she was shaking her head. Her hand swept across her neck and she walked with incredible swiftness towards the door. Freddie's glare sharpened on Gibby and his lips pressed against each other, forming small lines of pressure around them.

He stepped back and turned around just as Sam exited. She looked over and let her hands fall to her sides. "Freddie?" He flashed a smile and she moved over to him, hugging him tight and catching him by surprise. "I was worried. It's not usual for you to just leave me alone for a whole week, you start calling me or something by then. Wasn't sure if you were mad or something?"

"Why would I be mad?" He hugged her back, then pulled away while gazing into her light blue eyes. Those eyes drifted down momentarily and her shoulders rose.

"I figured after our last conversation…Then there's the whole thing with Ms. Benson. I kind of thought you needed someone to be here for you, especially since you say Gibby's been a bit of a creep lately." Her eyes darted to the window and she quickly shook her head. "Which I am not going to argue."

"Yeah." There was a pull that drew him into her. He wanted to hold her longer, to not let go. With a sigh he turned and motioned to his car. "What do you say we get out of here? We can talk elsewhere. Anywhere you're in the mood for?"

"I'll take Subway even, I don't care. After that flight, I'm exhausted and starving."

"Subway it is."

At the subway, Sam had the Italian BMT while Freddie went ahead and ordered the Sweet Onion. They sat together in a booth and Freddie was watching her eat the sandwich with a hungry appetite.

When she saw him staring, she set the sandwich down and grabbed a napkin to wipe her mouth. "So um, Freddie. We really haven't talked about your mom. Are you handling it well."

"It's hard, but I'm doing the best that I can. Mom's dealing with it rather well it seems, or at least she appears to be. Says she just wants me to be happy. I never thought I'd be without both of my parents by the time I'm twenty, though."

Sam looked down and slowly reached over, curling her hand around his. He felt his heart jump and looked into her eyes with surprise. "You'll be okay, Freddie."

"I know." He squeezed her hand in response and curved his lips into a tiny smile. "I can't believe you came all the way out here because you were worried about me."

"I did say it was more than that. I wanted to check on you, to check on your mom. Besides, I kind of miss Seattle."

"Not much has changed, but not a lot's the same either." He grabbed his sandwich and lifted his eyes skywards. "You should see Spencer, the way he is now."

"Carly told me he seemed a bit thickheaded lately." Putting it mildly at least. One thing was certain, Freddie did not want to piss the man off. "I guess people do change in time."

Freddie took a bite of his sandwich and shrugged. "Change never hurts. So long as it's good change." He didn't care for it though, especially as lately this change was so often bad. He was seeing a side of Gibby he'd never seen, he was seeing a deadlier turn in Nevel, and now he was going to have to get used to the fact that his mother was going to be gone. "Some change isn't right, though."

"That's true, Gibby seems like he's changed. Or maybe he's exactly the same and I'm letting what you said get to me. Although-" She moved her hand to her throat and sank her lips back into her cheeks. "It felt like he was about to strangle me." She turned her head and lifted her eyebrows. "Tell me I'm just imagining that."

"I wish I could." There was a lot more he wanted to tell her, but he didn't want to worry her. Just as he didn't want to worry his mother by telling her what he'd been doing. "I'm happy to see you, Sam."

Her shoulders lowered and her lips turned up to a smile. "I am too." She moved her hand to the surface of the table, resting it gently beside her sandwich. "I wanted to talk to you, about something we should discuss in person and not over the phone."

"Okay?" As he watched her fingers curl inwards, he felt a sensation rising up in him that beckoned his silence. Whatever the discussion, it was important enough to Sam that she flew up to Seattle. "Nothing bad, I hope."

"No. At least, I don't think so." Her chest expanded as a wrinkle formed between her eyebrows. Sam pressed her lips together, then popped them open with a heavy breath. "The way I was years ago, it's not completely who I am anymore. Yes, I still have some aggressive tendencies, but not much, and I don't think that means I deserve to be alone. A cat lady."

"You wouldn't be. Any man would love to be with you, I'm sure."

"Well, it doesn't feel like that sometimes." She uncurled her fingers and grabbed her sandwich. Her brow furrowed as she glanced down. "I'm by no means datable material. Jonah showed me that, Zeke showed me that, Shane showed me that. Jake, Peter, you name it…and most of all-"

A lump swelled in his throat and Sam's eyes slid towards him. "Me?"

"Yeah. I'm not girlfriend material, I'm not someone that people want to be with. I'm a sloppy eater, I get angry when someone hogs the shower or the last piece of food on the table." Freddie's mouth stretched into a grin as Sam began muttering. Her face was beginning to turn red as she glared at the sandwich. "I'm a stress eater, to the point I'm shocked that I'm not fat. I'm better at not taking my anger out on other people, but I have my moments-I'm not as irritable now that I'm not living with my borderline mother, but I'm nowhere near as sweet as Melanie or Carly."

"You're also not a pushover."

"What?"

"You're not a pushover." He cleared his throat and met Sam's inquisitive stare. "You're spunky, smart-I mean think of all the girls Gibby dates. He doesn't like that he can't control you, but he's able to control all those girls." Sam released a soft chuckle and shook her head. "You're strong-willed, opinionated and not afraid to speak your mind. And for all your fire, all your steam and smoke, you still have the heart to do the right thing. You're a good girl, and you know it."

"Isn't that a song?"

"Maybe." He smirked at her and she turned her head down towards her sandwich. "You mentioned all those boys in your past, do you know why they didn't work out?"

"Because they wanted someone dainty?"

"Something like that." He scratched his forehead in thought. "They wanted a girl that wouldn't talk back, that would just fall on hands and knees for them. Someone 'easy' and quiet. Controllable. You're none of those things, and that's the one thing that makes you better than any woman out there."

A smile flashed, but it disappeared from her as quickly as it came. "Then what about you?" He saw her body tense as an inexplicable sadness entered her eyes. "Although Carly's not much of a pushover either, but she can be a people-pleaser."

"It's been so long since I felt anything for her." As he studied her, his heart grew heavy thinking about what he could say. What was the right thing to say in a moment like this? The truth. Carly was pretty, and to Freddie's adolescent mind she was picturesque. Though to say that, would he be implying that he'd always believed her to be prettier than Sam? Then, if he said Carly wasn't, he was essentially telling Sam that her best friend wasn't good looking.

"Beauty doesn't come from appearance, Sam."

Her lips separated and she leaned back in the booth, her eyebrows meshed together as confusion swept her face.

"Yes, you and Carly both were and are beautiful outside, there's an inner beauty as well. There are qualities that both of you have which make you who you are, which make you beautiful." Sam reached up and slowly pushed her hair over her shoulder. There was a new redness to her cheeks, but she made no attempt to cover it. "One can't compare you two, and they shouldn't, because you're not the same. The reason I liked Carly in the past is not the reason I care for you now. When I was younger, I was immature and I didn't see beyond surface beauty. You're both equally beautiful, but I ended up seeing her first I suppose…"

"I guess." Sam tucked her hair behind her ear and furrowed her brow. "Well that's not technically ri-"

"The point is, when we were younger I didn't see all these qualities about you. I only saw the frustrated, repressed, aggressive side of you that was desperate to get away from your family and took your anger out on everyone that you came across."

"True." Sam frowned and grabbed her spoon to start scooping up the bowl of soup beside her. Instead, she only twirled it, causing ripples in the soup. "I wasn't perfect. I wasn't Carly perfect. Seems like everybody wanted Carly perfect. I'm still not her, either."

"Don't ever try to be." Sam's eyes darted over and her inner eyebrows drifted up as her nose wrinkled around the bridge. "I think when you and I first got together, I saw that other side of you and all those qualities, but I don't think I was ready to really give you a chance-to accept you for everything that you are. I never wanted Carly-perfect, or now that I've matured I can say that isn't what I want."

"You destroyed me when we broke up. Teased me when you decided to kiss me after the fact and made no attempt to hide that you weren't over Carly."

"I know, and I know you wanted to leave long before Carly ever left." Sam closed her eyes and exhaled. "And nothing I can say will be able to express how sorry I am, or how wrong I was for doing that to you."

"You talked to Spencer."

"Yeah. I never meant to drive you away, I know Carly wouldn't have wanted that either."

"That's why I didn't tell either of you, you people would have only insisted that I stick around." She crossed her arms and leaned to the right, her eyes clenched and her forehead seemed to fold over itself. "The point is, what I want to talk about. I _want_ to give you another chance, but I'm scared to. I know I'm not perfect, and I know I have issues. I've been hurt before, and I'm terrified of being hurt again. I can't just depend on the possibility that you might attend a college in California, and with the distance there is between us…how can I trust that you won't see something better? I don't want to get my hopes up thinking that something good is going to happen for a change, only to have those hopes crushed because I was foolish enough to trust someone that hurt me once already?"

She opened her eyes and looked to him. "People often say as it is, you can never truly trust somebody one hundred percent in a relationship. They also say sometimes you have to have faith, but I find faith to be incredibly difficult."

"I know, but sometimes you have to put faith in change. In chance. I'm not who I once was, I don't obsess and I'm not going to obsess. Should you and I ever get together, I want you to know that I would accept you for who you are."

"Everything. My faults, my good and bad sides…"

"Yes."

"If it came between me and Carly…If she showed up right now and said she wanted you?"

He chuckled once and shook his head. It was a good question, and he understood why she was asking it. In time, maybe she'd see that he wouldn't choose anyone over her, even Carly. "Well first, I wouldn't believe her-especially since she never liked me, and second I'd wonder why she flew all the way here from Italy without so much as a word to you or I."

Sam rolled her eyes and grabbed her sandwich. "This is _serious_, Freddie." His eyes softened and he relaxed his muscles while watching Sam take a bite of her food. He became enamored by how her beautiful hair brushed against her arms and shoulders when she moved, and how she gripped her food firmly but with care. She swallowed her bite and glanced at him from the corners of her eyes.

"I would tell her no. My heart and my mind have changed. Even if it wasn't Carly, if any girl walked in here, I would choose you. I'll give you time, and space if you want it, but give me a chance to show you that I've changed. I'm not the man I used to be…"

* * *

I'd say it's a good talk, and they've certainly reached a common understanding while hashing out how they felt.


	12. One Step Closer

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N: Going on a date tonight, so I'm putting this chapter up a little earlier. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 12 (One Step Closer)

"So you're staying in a hotel instead of your mother's?" Freddie wasn't too surprised to hear Sam's choice, though he knew she didn't have a lot of money to spend. "I guess that's better though, less stress."

"Not even Melanie would stay with mom." Freddie nodded and looked up to the sky as his grip tightened around the cell phone. How could he forget Sam's twin sister, he remembered that 'date' like it was yesterday. "So what are you doing today?"

"Nothing too interesting." That wasn't saying much, considering he'd gotten an envelope addressed to him just this morning. It was threatening in nature, warning him to stop pursuing this thing with Nora if he valued his own life.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Benson?" He glanced to the letter in his hand, studying the bottom of the letter. It was computer typed and printed, and this left small dots at the end, implying one of the older styles of printers that left their 'serial' on the page. Only one place still had a printer like this, and that was the library close to the older part of Seattle.

"I just don't want to worry you."

"If you want me to give you a chance and to trust you, now isn't the time to start keeping things from me." He lowered the letter and winced at the serious nature of her voice. "What's going on? Now I know Gibby said you're still looking into the whole thing with Nora…"

"I am. I haven't found proof, but I think he and Nevel may be involved…" There was a long pause, so he decided to further his explanation. "I did some looking around and found letters between the two, but no mention of Nora. Just a 'mutual friend'."

"Wait, how did you find those letters? They wouldn't just give you those if they were incriminating, would they? I mean, Gibby maybe…"

"Remember the thing with the snake?"

"Yeah?"

"Nevel's got a pet snake he calls Fuzzles. His mother let me in the house, while Gibby's girlfriend let me in his place, so I did some investigating." There was another pause, followed by a much louder response from Sam.

"You did what!" He pulled the phone from his ear and drew out a heavy sigh. "Are you insane? I mean I know I went to find Nora when she kidnapped Dice, but that's a little different. You're going into someone else's house, snooping around their personal shit and putting yourself in danger? For what? Proof that they may have had something to do with Nora's escape? Freddie, please, let the police handle it! Don't put yourself at risk if Gibby or Nevel actually are up to no good."

"That's just it, the police can't act on a hunch. Gibby and Nevel might not have anything to do with her and could just be acting really strange. I have to know, so I'm following my gut until I know for sure."

"Freddie. That's dangerous. What are you trying to prove? Nora's out again, I saw the news before I came up to Seattle. She's dangerous…If she's walking around out there…"

"Then as long as Gibby and Nevel aren't involved with her, I'll be fine. Can't say the police are doing a good job at apprehending her, though. I wonder how she escaped _this_ time."

"The news reporter said the transport vehicle went down a different path. The car got picked up by some crane in a junkyard, moved to a roof. The guard that was with Nora was found _dead_, Freddie. Nora's psychotic." His eyes widened and he faltered in his breath.

The words of the girl in the witness protection program echoed in his mind. Nora was out, she was deadly, and she wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted. "Then she's not working alone." It would explain the letter he received, but now he had more questions than answers. "If she's after us still…Maybe you should stay with your mom."

"I'd rather take my chances with Nora, to be honest."

"Sam, it's dangerous for you to be alone here. I know you can handle yourself just fine, but if Nora's really not working alone-" He stopped and looked over his shoulder. So far Nora would have been out for a week and a half, and has made no moves. Either that meant she'd given up, which was unlikely, or she had plans.

"No. Sam, Nevel was arguing with someone on the phone that day I was at his house. He was talking about making a plane and finding a way to keep it off military radar-if they're really working with Nora, and she's made no moves yet, then what if they're planning on attacking Carly first?"

"With you in Seattle, wouldn't you be the easier target? Nora would probably think I'm still in LA." This was true, unless Gibby was truly working with Nora, in which case he would know where Sam was. "Carly's in Italy, on an Air Force base with her father. She'd be the most difficult person to attain out of all of us."

"That's what Spencer said, but then why has Nora made no move yet?" Sam was the first person she went after when she escaped last time, so could she have tried for LA?

His blood ran cold thinking about Sam's roommate and friends still back there. "Sam, do you think she would go after your friends again to lure you out?"

"She does that, I'll drop-kick her myself. I'm not afraid of her, I just don't want anything to happen to…Carly…" Freddie smirked at Sam's obvious avoidance of her concern. He knew she was concerned about him too, it just pained him that even now she was afraid to let her feelings show.

"Ever so guarded, I see."

"No, not at _all_."

He looked up as he approached the library. It was in a ghetto neighborhood, more precisely close to the neighborhood Sam's mother lived. He presumed no connection.

The library was surrounded by weeds and thicket, its outer walls were cracked and crumbling, and several of the windows were broken. "Hey Sam, you remember that old library close to where you used to live?" Freddie heard a water faucet turn on, followed by a long groan.

"Don't remind me. I hated that place. The only people that ever went there were sickos, creeps and gang members. Someone was assaulted there one day, right in front of the staff, and nobody did a damn thing to help."

His stomach churned and a whistle left his lips. "Sounds more like a house of terrors than a library."

"Yeah. Tell me you're not over there."

"I would, but then I'd be lying."

"Freddie! Why the hell are you even there?"

"Just looking for someone."

His eyebrows rose when he heard a splashing sound. Almost immediately he pictured Sam dipping herself into a bathtub, and his cheeks began to turn bright red. "Since I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this craziness, just be careful. If you're at that library, don't talk to anybody-not even the staff. Trust no one down there…people will steal your wallet faster than you can say 'hello'." Freddie reached back and planted his palm against his back pocket.

"I'll definitely consider that."

"Alright."

"Are you taking a bath?" He scrunched his nose and listened to her chuckle.

"I haven't had a Jacuzzi in such a long time, so yes. That means I need to hang up pretty soon here." There was another splash followed by a contented sigh. Freddie rolled his eyes and smiled at the image coming to mind.

"I'll let you get to that, then. Enjoy it."

"Oh god…this feels so nice." The phone clicked off and Freddie shook his head. He pushed his phone into his pocket and started for the library, half expecting to find either Gibby, Nevel or Nora herself inside.

Placing his hand on the doorknob, he felt a stickiness that made his stomach churn with disgust. "Great. This place is going to be a pigsty like Gibby's apartment, isn't it? I'll put money on it." Times like these he wished he remembered to carry around lotion.

He pushed the door forward slowly, holding his breath as anxiety washed through him. Expecting one of three people to jump out at him, he braced himself for danger.

When he stepped inside, he found himself horribly disappointed. The small library was empty. The dusty bookshelves on the left were cracked and books were hanging loosely from the shelves, abandoned and unused for god only knew how long.

The computers on the right sat in rows like tombstones in a graveyard. Only one was turned on, implying recent use. "I can't imagine Nevel using this place," he whispered aloud. "That boy has more issues with germs than I do. Nora either, her own home was cleaner than mom's place." Nevel wouldn't have to print from here either. Gibby, on the other hand, Freddie would have thought against him being here had he not seen the man's apartment himself.

He started for the computer and glimpsed at the screen. There was a warning message implying that the system had been idle for thirty minutes and would shut off automatically.

There was a word document open on the start menu, but it had been minimized. As he started to reach for the mouse, he heard a familiar voice shouting at him. "You need to use the computer, get a library card!"

His heart stopped and it took him a moment to recognize the sharp tone. Turning towards the library desk, he saw a woman in a floral patterned dress and short blonde hair. There was a fire in her eyes just like that as Sam's. "Ms. Puckett?"

"What?" The woman put her hands on her hips and squinted at him. "Oh hey, you're that Beacon kid Samantha dated a while back."

"Benson…"

"Whatever. How is she doing? She a tiger in the sack like her old mam?" Freddie put his hand to his stomach and groaned as the woman laughed. "I haven't seen her or Melanie in what feels years, they probably think I'm in prison now."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm a little surprised you're not." Pam narrowed her eyes as Freddie walked up to the counter. "Has anyone used that computer recently?"

"It's on, ain't it?"

"Yes, but, that's not…what I…meant." He ran his hand through his hair and laughed sheepishly as Pam shrugged. The scent of alcohol came to his nostrils and his stomach churned once more. "Um, why are you working here anyway?"

"Volunteer. Community service. Probation officer says I gots to contribute to society somehow. Tell me how my daughters are. Last I checked, both of them have restraining orders out on me."

"Damn. Why?"

"Because Melanie helped Sam move away and I went nuts, brandished a kitchen knife and whatever…they said I was going to kill them, I only wanted to scare them a little." Freddie shook his head and crossed his arms. He could see why Sam wouldn't want to bring that up, and he certainly wasn't going to ask her about it unless she did bring it up. "Is my little Sammy back in Seattle yet?"

"Nope." There was a very slim chance that he'd ever tell Pam one of her daughters was here, not with what he'd just heard. Sam probably wouldn't want her mother knowing she was in town.

"That's a shame. I was hoping we could talk about what happened."

"Yeah…" He scratched the back of his neck and looked towards the computer. "Do you know who was on that last?"

"Only one person been in here all day. I think it was that weird kid that hung around your group-I never can remember his name."

"Gibby?"

"Oh yeah!" Pam snapped her fingers and flashed a toothy grin. "I don't know why I was thinking of Gibralter…" His eyebrows meshed together and a slight chuckle fell from his lips. Pam's hands slid to her waist and Freddie felt an uncomfortable stare on him. "I should thank you."

"Okay?"

"No really." She flashed a snarky grin and tilted her head to the right. "For making my little Sammy realize she's going to be just like mommy." His chest tightened and he turned fully towards her.

"Excuse me?"

"You, you're the last person she dated, the one that let her know there's always someone better than her." Pam laughed and crossed her arms. "That little girl was never going to find someone, she just needed to realize that. The only use she's ever going to have is growing up single, alone, and desperate just like her old lady."

"No." Bile rose up in his throat, burning him. "I won't let that happen." Pam's grin faded and her eyebrow arched up.

"Huh. You act like you actually give a shit about that little snot. She has no value, if she and Melanie had any sense in their heads they would know the only person that's ever going to be here for them is their momma and they should stay with me, take care of me."

Anger and malice began to swirl around his heart, and a growl escaped his lips. "Sam will never be like you, she's a better person than that."

"She came from nothing, just like her mother, and she'll grow up to nothing. She'll give birth to nothing and have no man that ever sticks by her side or-"

"She isn't you."

"Then why the fuck did you dump her for that Carl chick?"

"Carly," he deadpanned, "Her name was Carly." He crossed her arms and Pam rolled her eyes.

"Whatever her name, it is your fucking fault my daughter took off!"

"Oh?" He uncrossed his arms and started for the doors. "Well good, I'm glad I did something right for a change! She and Melanie both are probably better off."

Leaving the library, he was overcome with a feeling of guilt. Normally he wouldn't be so rash, and especially wouldn't say something like that to someone else's parent, no matter how true it was. Unfortunately his disgust and anger in the woman got the best of him.

"Jesus, now I see why Sam was always so fucking irritable." It was beside the point, he now had a good reason to believe at least Gibby truly was with Nora. This would mean Nevel was connected.

However if the letter in his hands was any indicator, the thought that they may be after Carly first could be incorrect. "What are the odds they come after me first?" He now had information that could lead police in investigating themselves, in which case, destroy their little union. They'd be afraid of that, and surely, he would be their first target.

In that instant a rustling sound heard behind him created a shiver that shot down his spine. The air around him was swept away and despite the clear sky, he felt a dark and ominous cloud creeping above him.

If he let that fear keep him from following this, then he may as well let Nora take him now. "I will find a way to stop them, whatever they're up to. Even if it's the last thing I do. My investigation continues, Nora. Hear me? I'm not stopping!"

She wouldn't get the girls, not while he was still standing. "You want to get Sam? You want to get Carly? You'll have to _kill_ me first. I'll figure out what your plans are, I'll take it to the cops, and your little plan will be kaput before you even get off ground."

* * *

So it's getting to the nitty-gritty here. I will say Sam, and Carly, while they may be targeted, neither of them are the end goal result. Stick around and see what's going to go down.


	13. A Decision to be Made

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 13 (A Decision to be Made)

Sam stepped out of the bathroom with her red bathrobe. After putting her hair up in a ponytail, she took a seat on the hotel bed and pulled her laptop onto her lap. When she opened it, the computer turned on from sleep mode. Skype was open and flashing yellow, so she checked to see who sent her a message.

"Missed call from Cat...ten minutes ago." She hit he call button and closed her robe further once the camera light turned on. Cat answered after three buzzes. "Hey Cat, what's up? I was taking a bath…"

"Just wanted to know if you got to Seattle safely. Sounds like you did." Cat leaned forward and scrunched her nose. "Looks like a nice bed you've got there. Must be a great hotel."

"Would you believe only half of the budget is paying for this? Freddie took care of the rest." She didn't exactly want him to do so, but he insisted. Cat rolled her head to the right, then let her head fall onto the bed. "What?"

"Sam, do you remember when we fought?" She was trying to forget about the fight over Freddie, and Robbie. Cat lifted her head and looked to Sam with great disapproval. "I lied to him and told him you'd been hurt, and yes he came in calling for you. All it took was for me to say he was cute…"

She moved her hand to her chest, rubbing it as her heart's pounding began to ache. "Yeah, but maybe by that time he figured I wasn't in any danger. I mean, if I were seriously hurt, even he knows how upset you would be." She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "Regardless, I want to give him a chance. He says he's changed, and I still have feelings for him…"

"I don't want to see you hurt, pretty sure Carly doesn't want to see you hurt. No one wants to see the next person you run into _after_ being hurt." The right side of her bottom lip tucked beneath her teeth and she shrugged her shoulders. "If this is what you want, okay, but I'd be careful. If you put your heart on the line for someone like that."

"The thing is I still-" She took a deep breath and turned her eyes to the door. "I still care about him. I'm scared out of my mind, but I have to give him a chance. If he-" She looked up to the ceiling and held her breath. "No, I don't even want to think about that possibility."

"Is Carly online? Put her on, I want to know what she'd say about this."

"Come on-"

"Well you go on about how dense and clueless I am sometimes, so I imagine she's smarter. Maybe I'm missing something that she doesn't. Not to mention, she's known both of you a lot longer than I have. She's a better judge." Sam added Carly to the conversation with brief hesitancy.

Carly's face popped up in a dark room lit only by the amber light of a lamp. She had her hair wrapped under a towel and was wearing a light blue robe. "It is ten-thirty at night, and you're adding me into a group conversation?"

"Sorry, Cat made me."

Carly's lip was positioned in a straight line and her eyebrows were arched in small humps. She lifted her hand and waved her fingers at the camera. "Hi Cat."

"Sam and I are discussing Freddie's issue of fidelity and her willingness to give him a chance." Cat's left eyebrow fell and her right seemed to arch higher. "I just want to hear your opinion."

"Nobody else has a right to judge," Sam defended. "Show concern, yes, but it's my decision to make. I still l-care about him and I want to give him another chance. It scares me, but I feel like I need to do this."

"Okay." Carly had been holding a book. She set it to the side and removed her towel, letting her hair fall around her neck and shoulders. "So what's the problem?" Cat rolled her eyes and threw her hand up in the air.

"Freddie's a gigolo! He's only going to hurt her, Fabio would be less of a womanizer!"

Carly rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, sighing heavily. "I hear you, Cat. You have a point, but Sam's right too. This isn't your place or mine to judge. As friends we can only be there at the end, no matter how it turns out."

"Thank you." Sam shifted towards the right and looked towards Carly's camera screen. "So what do you think, Carly?"

"It doesn't matter what I think."

"I just want your opinion." Carly narrowed her eyes and spoke slowly, putting strong emphasis on each word.

"The last thing I want is to influence you."

"You won't." She would consider and value Carly's opinion, but her decision would be her own. It was exhausting to think about, and the whole thing felt like a battle that she just wanted to be over.

"Then let me ask you this, Sam." She held her breath as Carly smacked her lips. Cat remained quiet and held a manner of respect in her eyes. "No more dancing around the subject. How do you feel about him? You say you want to give him another chance, so do you want to be with him? Do you love him?"

"I don't know about love, but if there's a chance for love to foster and grow…I do want to be with him, I still care very deeply for him."

"Can you look past the baggage?" Sam lowered her hands to the comforter on the bed and grasped it firmly. "I know it's something you need to think about, but if you're going to start a relationship with him again, you need to be able to look past his mistakes."

"Old mistakes yes, but we'll need to work through things."

"I know a big part of you is afraid of being alone, being like your mother was, and I just want to know that this getting back together with Freddie isn't about that. That if you're wanting it, you're wanting it because it's how you really feel in your heart. I can't tell you what to do, and neither can Cat."

"Yeah that's right," Cat replied. Cat looked away momentarily and shrugged her shoulders. "We'll be here for you no matter what, though." Her heart jumped up as the redhead turned back and gave her a smile. "And maybe Freddie really is different, who knows, maybe he'll be a real man this time around." Carly smirked and nodded once.

"Neither of us know the future, so we don't know how it's going to end up. We don't know how Freddie's going to be, so we can't tell you what to do-we don't even know what's in your heart or his. Only you do."

"Thanks. It's just been stressful lately with everything going on. I know I told you about Ms. Benson…" Carly frowned and Cat nodded, Freddie had of course given her the okay to let them know what was going on with his mom. "Then there's this thing with Nora, she's escaped, and now Freddie thinks Gibby's got some ties with her."

Carly's hand cupped over her mouth and her eyebrows shot up. "Oh my god. Gibby? That can't be!"

"I want to think that too, but when I first got here and ran into him…" She reached up to her neck and curled her fingers around the edge of her robe. "It felt like he was trying to strangle me."

"You want me to fly over? I can catch a flight out tomorrow morning if I have to."

"No don't. If Nora becomes a threat, she'll go after you. Even Freddie says you might be safest on that base." She was tempted to agree that Nora would go after her or Freddie first, and Carly last. "What I want to know, is if Gibby has anything to do with Nora-why and how. I mean he's the one that saved us the first time, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, that's what would throw me off. If Nora truly has allied with him, maybe it's to get close to one of us?"

"Well that wouldn't work with me, because apparently he hates me." It also wouldn't work with Carly, for obvious reasons. As the realization dawned on her, fear shot through her like wildfire. Her hand moved to her chest and her eyes widened. "Oh my god…"

"What?"

"Gibby's closest to Freddie-Nora's going after him first! I have to call him!"

"Sam-" She closed the laptop and raced to her luggage bag. Her heart began to race as she dug through the luggage, tearing out an article of clothing. When she had her clothes, she rushed to her phone.

Once she grabbed it, the phone ripped out its loud ringtone, causing her to jump out of her skin. She answered and was relieved to hear Freddie's voice. The caller ID didn't detect his number though, despite her already having him in her phone's address book. "Freddie, you're alright." She moved her hand to her chest and closed her eyes.

"Sam, I was wondering if you were okay."

"Yes, yes." She listened carefully for background noises, but heard nothing. He was speaking calmly, which relieved her. "I was just getting ready to call you."

"Really? You were? What's going on?"

"I was um…talking to Carly and Cat." Sam tucked her hair behind her ear and walked in front of the window, gazing out at the street below. "About us. I wanted their opinion."

"You've given us some more thought, then?" She turned around and leaned back against the window, closing her eyes.

"Yes. I think-" Her breath stuck in her throat and she closed her eyes, listening to her heart's endless pounding. "We need to put our past behind us. I'm willing to give you that chance."

"I am happy to hear that."

She opened her eyes and held her breath, startled with how easily it came out. Coming from him, she expected more immature cheering. "Freddie, I need to warn you about something. I think Nora may be using Gibby to get to you, Gibby is closest to you…so that means you're likely to trust him."

Freddie let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I probably shouldn't have even bothered investigating this. It was pointless." Sam stepped forward, concerned by Freddie's sudden, strange behavior. "Here I thought they were planning to go after Carly first. They had this helicopter Nevel hijacked and was working on an invention to keep it undetected."

"Holy shit…"

"Sam. They got me." Her heat stopped and she instantly glanced to the door, ready to run out and find him if she had to. "Nevel and Gibby had been working for Nora since she and her parents kidnapped us the second time."

"That…doesn't make any sense. Why would they do that? Nevel I can understand, but-never mind that right now, where are you? Where are they holding you?"

"Sam. No. It's too dangerous."

"I don't care! I'm going to get you out of there." She rushed for the door, leaving her purse behind. "Where are you?"

"Warehouse on Smith. You can't miss it."

"Okay, hang in there. I'm coming for you." She hung up the phone and ran for the elevator, pushing someone aside so as not to run into them. "I'm sorry! It's an emergency." She couldn't let them get away with this. When she found Nora, it was going to take a lot of willpower not to tear that bitch's head clear off her shoulders.

* * *

So...question. Who here honestly thinks Freddie would tell Sam where he was if he was caught? Much less if Nora, Gibby and Nevel would even give him a chance to call anybody. Well, Cat and Carly had some good things to say, that's for sure.


	14. The Bitter Truth

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 14 (The Bitter Truth)

The warehouse was in the middle of what was Seattle's warehouse district, right beside the docks. A perfect place to hide out at, and a perfect place to dispose bodies, as the Seattle Mafia had used it for decades before the police quieted their operation fifteen years ago and left the docks and warehouse district behind to crumble. It was a misfortune that the man Freddie's father had been chasing in the other town had allies in the mafia, a hunch that John had not seen coming.

"Freddie must have gotten too close, like his dad." Stepping into the warehouse district sent a bone chilling tingle through her. She hugged her stomach and looked from left to right down the empty street. "Even I've never been out here."

In front of her was the large building that was amazingly still standing despite its shoddy exterior. On it read _Chang's Fish Distillery_. "Why? Why couldn't it be an oil factory?" Hell, _Sandal's Steel Mill_, and _West Oil Depot_ were two warehouses she passed along the way.

She pressed her back against the wall beside the door and looked to the sky, trembling as she pleaded internally not to get caught. She had no weapon, just her fists, and this time she was almost certain Nora didn't have a pit that she could be thrown down in.

The nerve-wracking part was that Nora had a point, Sam could still fight but hadn't done much in the last two years. Smarts and insanity were two different things, but when combined could be lethal as well, and Nora was no idiot, so she would have learned from past mistakes.

"Whatever." Sam breathed out slowly and quietly tapped her closed fists against the wall. "That bitch has Freddie in there." She reached out to the door, spreading her fingers out and setting her palm gently around the knob, then held it there.

Her heartbeat intensified as a variety of thoughts swamped her. Would Nora be expecting her? Something in her gut was telling her to run, but she couldn't back down. Not now, now after realizing this woman was up to.

Her temperature started to rise as she struggled to keep her calm demeanor, and tiny droplets of sweat began to form along her body. "Relax," she whispered, "It is only Nora-nothing to be afraid of." It was easy to say but harder to believe when this was the woman who kidnapped her twice and went after her friends. Even she didn't know how desperate Nora may have become now.

Stepping inside, she was overcome by the nauseating stench of old, dead fish. Her hand moved down to her abdomen and she covered her mouth as her stomach flipped.

Her phone started to ring, causing her to grab it and duck behind a stack of boxes. When she checked, the number was blocked. "What the?" She put the phone to her ear and spoke quietly. "Who is this? Your number is blocked?"

"Go figure," spoke the painfully familiar voice. Sam's eyes widened and she pulled the phone from her ear. Her lips trembled as her eyes began to mist up. "How's my little Sammy?"

"I don't have time for this, mother."

"What? You become too good for your mom? Living like an LA queen? Puttin' on airs and whatnot?" Sam poked her head around the boxes, electing not to listen to her mother, but she didn't want to hang up knowing her mom would only call her again. "Maybe next time change your phone number if you really don't want to hear from me, bitch."

"Really mom?" She rolled her eyes and peered over the railing. Nora was down below, her arms were crossed and her narrow eyes were scanning the area. When she turned her head up, Sam darted back behind the boxes. She sank down and began to breathe heavily. "Maybe I will change that number, mother. I'm in a little bit of a situation here."

"I ran into that little Bacon boy earlier." Sam raised an eyebrow and poked around the boxes once more. This time Nora's back was turned. Thinking fast, she darted to the next pile of crates to hide behind.

"Benson, mom. What do you mean you ran into Freddie?" She looked back to Nora, swallowing heavily. _"Wait, why would Nora have people associated with her family in the first place? Freddie mentioned something the other day about Spencer saying there was a long list of people associated…" _

"I mean he came into the library about an hour ago. Left looking for that Gibralter kid." Sam pulled back and rolled her eyes.

"Gibby."

"Whatever. Have you spoken to Melanie lately? Anytime I call her number, I get the shitty 'disconnected number' message."

"You're not even supposed to be talking to us. You're in violation of the terms of probation, you know. I could just as easily turn you in."

"Sure turn in your own mother, it isn't like you little…people haven't done that to me already." There was a mix of malice and sorrow in Pam's voice, but Sam could hardly notice.

When she moved her eyes away from Nora, she saw what looked like a large square pit. Inside was a grinder filled with fish guts and blood. In her mind, she hoped that was what it was, but her recent flash of terror made her believe otherwise.

On the other side of Nora were two tall cylinders, with the one on the left cloaked in a long yellow blanket. Both had metal pipes ascending from the tops and fusing together to reach a nearby machine. "Nevel's work, probably, whatever that is…"

"What did you say?"

"Nothing mom, ignore me a little more if you please."

"Oh come on Samantha!"

Sam narrowed her eyes and studied the machine, there were a variety of strange buttons. Nora walked over and looked to the uncovered tube while pressing down on a button. A small slit opened on the tube and remained open for as long as Nora kept the button pressed. "It works," Nora commented, "Good. Little Freddie won't know what he's walking in on."

"What?" She would have assumed Freddie to be hidden in the covered tube, but if he wasn't there, then who was?

She made her way down the steps, lowering her phone so she didn't have to hear what incessant prattle her mother was ranting on about. She suspected it had something to do with her, since the woman was going on about how she wanted to see her daughters.

"If I could get a little closer, I could see who Nora's got under there." She heard her mother's voice stop, then question.

Sam hid behind another stack of crates and set her hand on the edge of one of them for stability. She peeked around the stack and this time Nora's back was turned to her. The girl was standing before the pit and grinder, her hands at her waist and her foot was tapping the ground.

Nora's head tilted back and her right hand started to tap her hip. "I know you're there, Sammy. You left the upper door open." Her heart stopped and her eyes darted to the entrance, the door was wide open and the sunlight was piercing through. "This is bigger than the both of us, you know. May as well come out of hiding."

"Samantha what's going on?" Pam inquired. "Talk to me, damn it! I'm tired of being ignored!"

Sam muted her mother then pushed her phone into her pocket. Swallowing down the large lump of frozen air in her throat, Sam slowly stepped into view. Her expression remained stoic and her muscles tense. "For once in your life mom," she whispered, "I hope you do something for your daughter and not yourself." She didn't expect her mother to hear, and if she had, it wouldn't matter. "Get help."

"Where is he?"

"Whoever do you mean?" Nora put her hand to her chest and walked forward, laughing vainly. "Oh, you thought Freddie was here and came running like a good little girl." Sam's eyebrows meshed together and she sucked in on her lips. "See, once he finds you missing, he'll come racing to your rescue-that man has been hopelessly devoted to you. I've been watching."

Nora swept her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes. "I could hardly believe it myself." Sam's racing heart shot up once more and she began shaking her head, uncertain of what Nora was saying. "Even investigating Gibby's home, he wasn't sidetracked by that blonde bimbo."

"So he has changed?"

"Apparently he cares for you." Nora tapped her chin and tilted her head, studying Sam up and down. "Even I can't see why. So as he's investigating, wanting to protect you, and even that Shay girl, he's getting closer to smashing my operation. So I'm thinking." Nora swept her hand away and raised her eyebrow. "How am I going to catch him when even Gibby failed to subdue him?"

"Gibby…"

"Yes, yes, he's working for me. So is Nevel." Nora rolled her eyes and stepped close. Sam tensed further and remained in her place, glaring into Nora's cold, evil eyes. Her hot breath fell onto Sam's cheeks, poisoning her. "You're going to be the perfect little lure, and when he comes for you-before we kill him we're going to kill you." Nora's nostrils flared and her glare sharpened. "Right in front of him."

"I don't understand. I heard his voice."

"Oh. About that." Nora walked to the machine and took a box from the side counter attached to it. Sam's eyes widened as Nora moved the box in front of her lips and pressed down on a button. "This is an invention of Nevel's." When Freddie's voice came out, all the oxygen around her evaporated and her knees began to buckle.

"For as smart as you are, Sam." Nora pulled the device away and flipped it in her hand with a dark laugh. "I'm amazed you fell for that."

"You _bitch!"_ Sam rushed her and took a swing at her. Nora ducked to the right, avoiding the punch. When she twisted, Nora's fist was flying at her in a right jab. Sam ducked to avoid it, but felt the girl's knee digging up into her chest. "Fuck!" She staggered back, winded.

"Poor little girl, you've got no idea who you're dealing with do you?" Sam's hand moved to her stomach and her eyes drifted up to Nora's deadly and burning glare. She felt a shiver run through her, followed by a slow tremble that overtook her body. "What are you fighting for right now? Your precious Freddie is safe and sound."

"She's right." Sam's eyes widened as Nevel's voice struck her ears. A whimper fell from her lips as the boy walked into view. As much as she hadn't wanted to believe his involvement, even when Nora held one of his own inventions, seeing him now took her breath away. "You don't know who you're dealing with. To you, just a crazed, deranged, obsessive girl-but we know the truth. This has been planned out for a very long time, Samantha. You're just a speck in the grand scheme of things, not even important to the cause…we could move ahead with or without you."

"No. I don't want to hear it." She let out a rage filled scream and shot towards Nora, clenching her fists and preparing to fight.

"You're a good fighter, Sam." Nora crossed her arms and tightened her abdomen. "But you're scrappy, raised on the streets and don't know how to cover up your openings. I grew up a part of the very people that once owned this building. My parents, my uncle, they trained me to kill."

Sam's rage spiked up, but Nora's words twisted her anger, blinding her. Nobody important was here, she could run and get away from these people.

Her fist slammed into Nora's abdomen, but to her dismay the girl only grunted in pain. Nora swung her hand around and clamped her fingers around Sam's neck, then dug her nails into her.

"Let go." Sam clenched her eyes, screaming as the pain from Nora's nails scattered through her body.

Nora leaned in dangerously close and lifted her eyebrows. "You're a scrappy street fighter. Uncouth, untrained…I'm the assassin here, bred to join the mob with my family and trained to bring it back to life."

"What?" Her body fell limp and her eyes darted to Nora. The trembling inside of her increased and she started to shake her head. "I'm stronger than you. I'm not afraid of you."

"Who says you have to be afraid of me? You're weak, Sam. Weak. Someone like you shouldn't waste your energy on people like Freddie, but it's too late for you to join my cause." Nora shoved her away and Sam spun around, breathing heavily as the woman spread her arms out. "Come on Sam. Take another shot at me."

"Why are you doing this, Nora? What's there to prove?"

"Nothing. I hardly care about you, or about your little friend Carly, but there were some conditions to be met-I could see my goal in fruition without a little help." She heard Nevel's chuckle and narrowed her eyes. This was a new low, even for him.

At any rate, she could make a dash for the stairs and get away, there wasn't too much distance between them. There was nobody in danger. Freddie was safe, and that was all that she came here to figure out, there was no reason to fight.

Her nostrils spread out and Nora's head tilted to the right. "Oh Sammy, you're not thinking of running away from us? What kind of person runs away from a fight? A weakling, that's who."

"I am not weak!" She charged Nora, filled with blind rage. As she approached her target, Nora stepped out of the way and Sam's attention fell onto the pit that Nora had been in front of. She stopped short of the pit and let out a shocked scream as she nearly lost her balance. Nora's arms wrapped up around her armpits, locking her in place as she swung her around.

"Come on Sammy, you're smarter than this. Are you having a blonde moment?" Nora threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, by the way, the real answer to the person that runs from a fight? Not necessarily weak or cowardice, but sometimes _smart_. A smart person retreats when they need to."

"Fuck you!" Nora pushed her forward, then twisted her right leg around Sam's, locking them in place. Sam struggled against the woman's grip and let out a fierce growl while throwing her head back in an attempt to strike the girl, but all she hit was air.

"You know. When I busted out the first time, I only wanted to rile you up a bit, remind you that I existed. That way you'd be so shaken, so terrified of me when I broke out again."

"You don't frighten me, bitch." Sam looked in front of her and saw Gibby walking towards her. She clenched her teeth and looked away from him while trying to pull herself free from Nora. "Gibby, you little snot nosed bastard, why would you work with her? Is this about me?"

"Only on the surface," Gibby chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, I do hate you, and I was promised a few blows." Sam threw her head up, staring at him with wide eyes. "But this? No, this is bigger than you."

"If you touch me."

"Well now how can we expect you to cooperate when you won't stop struggling?" Sam watched as he cracked his knuckles. Her eyes clenched shut and her body jerked with pain as a swift blow struck her stomach. She tore out a loud scream and opened her eyes halfway.

"Fuck you, Gibby."

"You better watch that pretty mouth of yours, Samantha. You're the one in captivity." He struck her once more and she turned her head with the punch, flinching her body. "How many more do I have, Nora?"

"Two more strikes, and nothing more."

"Damn. I was just getting to enjoy this." Sam turned her head back and glared with malice at Gibby. Adrenaline was coursing through her veins and she was mentally planning a way out. "Back in the day when the mafia controlled Seattle, this was one of their biggest outlets. It's a nice little factory, isn't it?"

"It smells like rotting fish." She tilted her head and smirked while ignoring the taste of blood in her lips. "Oh wait, that's all there is here. The police wiped the mafia out years ago."

"Yes. Yes they did. All because of the hunch of a detective that got himself involved in something much bigger than he realized." She saw him rubbing his wrist and flexing his fist, so she closed her eyes and braced for a third strike, grunting when he struck her in the chest. "The idiot decides to rob a few banks, gets followed by a pathetic little investigator…they kill each other, and the police find a list of names on the man's body. All with ties to the Seattle mafia. Funny how quickly one man can destroy an entire operation."

"We're going to revive it," Nora stated. Sam struggled to breathe, whimpering as her chest and body pulsed with pain. "My parents were the last that remained, and we'd been building it up again, but the lawyer we were paying off was a rather pathetic individual. So now it's up to me to start all over again, and I won't have your fucking boyfriend fucking it up!"

Sam's eyes widened as she was thrown onto the ground. Her body rolled against the concrete and pain shot through her like electricity. She moved her hand to her arm and screamed out in shock as Gibby's shadow fell over her.

"One more for the road." Her eyes shot open as his fist came crashing down, all that followed was blackness as consciousness shot away from her with what sounded of roaring thunder.

* * *

Tricked, and we learn a bit of what Nora's really after. Though Carly and Sam could be used as "bargaining chips", but Nora does want Freddie dead.


	15. True Investigator

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 15 (True Investigator)

"There, it's off." Freddie took a step back from Mrs. Papperman and watched as the woman rubbed her neck. "You might let the police know what he did." The woman let out a sigh and removed her hand, revealing a bright red square in place of where the device had been.

"Thank you. I thought for sure Nevel wouldn't get out of that asylum." She rolled her head to the left, then the right. The woman rubbed her forehead and started to groan. "He's been planning something. My memory's hazy, but I've got bits and pieces. I could see and hear, I just couldn't control my own actions."

"Take everything you know to the police." The police were now following this. Once he told them of Nora's involvement, they started to take more action and hired him temporarily when he continuously insisted that he wanted to continue investigating it. Only now, everything he found, he had to turn over to them.

A team of investigators had gone to Gibby's place to dig through the muck and see what they could find. "I'm going back down to the basement and see what I can find." The woman walked away rubbing her neck. With that, he returned to the basement with hesitancy, remembering the snake from before.

Once he was down there, he looked to the cage just to make sure the snake was inside. To his pleasure, the snake was coiled up inside the now locked cage. "So _that_ won't be an issue."

Scanning the room, he caught a glimpse of something new. It was a large box with a variety of wires attached to it. "What does this do?" He walked towards it, studying it closely. To his surprise, Nevel had notes to the object seated beside it. "For a genius, he can be an idiot sometimes." He reached for the notes, then hesitated. "Unless he's doing that on purpose…"

Did Nevel want him to find these papers? If so, why? He had to know that if discovered, the papers could lead him straight to jail as evidence of his involvement in a conspiracy to either kidnap or attempt murder.

Freddie carefully scanned the notes and scribbles on the sidebar. The more he read, the more his blood ran cold. "So he was planning something." The device was as he suspected Nevel of creating, a monitor that would cloak any flying object from even the best military radar.

Alongside this were fake military IDs that could be used to get into the US Air Force Base. "I need to alert the police of this." Perhaps now would be a good time to alert Carly as well, but he didn't think there was an immediate danger at this point-the device wasn't even completed yet.

When he pulled his phone out, something on the desk caught his eye. Just beside the paperwork regarding the device was a document on the man that his father had been investigating nearly fifteen years ago.

A shallow sensation grew in him as he gently picked up the document and read over it. With each word, his heartbeat intensified and he could feel the heat of fear wrapping its deadly fingers around him. "Seattle mafia? They went into hiding ages ago, didn't they?"

He moved the top paper back and raised his eyebrows at a yellow, aged newspaper clipping. _P.I. John Benson and Seattle Mafia Consigliere kill each other in gunfight. _His blood ran cold as he studied the article, with each word his fingers and lips trembled to the point he was ready to burn the newspaper as if it did not exist. "Dad didn't know? The consigliere was…supposed to be transporting a book of names and Dad killed him." The man had stopped to rob a series of banks while transporting a list of mob associates to a rival family, thereby the police intercepted it and used it to take out the leaders of the mafia.

With that, the mob crumbled to select few. "I need to get this to Spencer, and fast. He might know something!" Without waiting to check anything further, he took off running.

At the law firm, he called out to Spencer, who was drinking another cup of coffee. Spencer jerked back and pounded his chest while coughing on his drink. "Goddamn it Freddie! What do you want now?"

He took a seat in front of Spencer and pushed the newspaper clipping forward. "The Seattle Mafia, what can you tell me about them?" Spencer's eyebrow rose and he slowly looked up to the man. "The police temporarily hired me, it pertains to Nora's case. I…think it has something to do with my father, the man he was following back then. Nora may be out for revenge do to this, somehow."

Spencer picked up the paper with his left hand and raised his right to his chin, curling his index finger over his lip. "Ah, I remember something about this, actually." He pulled his hand away with a sigh and furrowed his brow. "I was just entering college on my CJ major, this made current events for some time."

"Yeah?"

"The dead guy. Leroy Papperman-" Freddie's lips separated and Spencer's eyes flicked to him. "Yes, related to Nevel. Apparently he was betraying the mob, but got cocky and started robbing banks. Your father knew the man and had a hunch he was behind the robberies, so he tailed the guy. Didn't bother with the police because they weren't interested in a private investigator."

He crossed his arms and slanted his eyes as anger chipped away at him. "That ended up killing him." Spencer shook the newspaper clipping and Freddie watched as the man's eyes slid across the page. "So what do you remember of the case? Of the black book?"

"Not much, other than the fact that John Benson hit a proverbial gold mine and didn't even know it. He's a goddamn hero." Freddie's lips curved up into a bright grin as Spencer set the page down on the desk. "Unrecognized, but damn, that book held the names of every crime boss, every Capo and associate in the Seattle Mafia."

"I never knew."

"No one did, but I bet I can get that out. Now if you're wondering about Nora's involvement…" Spencer opened his desk drawer and removed the file on her family. Freddie leaned forward as though trying to see into the folder, but as he did so Spencer reclined in the chair and read from a document. "Seems here one of the crime bosses was a man named Ralph Trendon, the brother to Nora's mom. He was arrested and later sentenced to death because of this mishap."

"So, Nora's family?"

"Was all that was left of the mafia, I presume. Which would make sense when considering all the people Nora's parents had associated with them, and the lawyer they were paying off. Which crumbled…when they kidnapped you guys. With her parents in prison, she's the only person left."

"Then…" He took a deep breath and slid his clammy palms along his pants. What he was deducing here was not something he wanted to consider. "Rebuilding?"

"You think she might try to rebuild the mafia from scratch?" It was a wonder why she ever went after Carly or Sam to begin with, but then, if she were after him they'd be hit too. "Her parents may have got cocky trying to take you out with the girls all those years before."

"But she's got Nevel and Gibby involved." He scratched under his chin and stared at the article. "Nevel I can understand, but Gibby?"

"Yes well, while you try to figure this out, I'm going to have a talk with the police department next door." Spencer rose up from the desk and Freddie glanced up at him with curiosity. "I'll see about getting your father instated on the hall of heroes down at the station, maybe we can give him a little recognition for his efforts."

"That would be an honor."

"I think the old man deserves it." Freddie's heart skyrocketed and he practically fell out of his chair with enjoyment. Spencer walked around the desk and Fset a hand to his shoulder. "And Freddie?"

"Yeah?"

"Be careful if you're really investigating this. Your father didn't know what he was getting into, and for all intents and purposes, neither do you."

"I will."

Freddie entered his car and began the drive to Sam's hotel, he wanted to ensure she got to a safe place so that Nora wouldn't be able to get her. When he arrived and knocked on the door, no answer came

"Sam, it's me, Freddie!" He knocked again and still there was no answer. "Okay…" Turning, he pulled his phone and dialed her number.

This time it went straight to voicemail. He leaned against the door and closed his eyes. "Sam, when you get this, call me. I think I've stumbled on something and need to get you someplace safe. Gibby and Nevel are sure to be working with Nora, and even if you're not their intended target, I want to make sure you're protected."

Most likely he was at the top of the list of targets, especially since he'd done the most to piss off Gibby and Nevel.

The next number he called were the police officers he'd been working with. "I've found evidence at Nevel Papperman's home of a device and various notes, but I've left them for you to investigate and collect as you see necessary. Still no sign of Nora, Nevel, or Gibby."

"You've found solid evidence that they are working with her?"

"Yes, I've found a connection between Nora and Nevel."

"After a thorough investigation of Mr. Gibson's apartment, and interrogation of his girlfriend, we have discovered a connection between the suspect and Nora. There is also reason to believe they may be hiding out in the warehouse district of Seattle."

"One of the old Seattle Mob hideaways I bet." He would have to find exactly what warehouse, but he didn't want to take on the task by himself. While he was mentally preparing his next step, the phone vibrated in his hand. Tearing it from his ear, he studied the unclaimed phone number. "Hold on, I'm getting a call. It could be important."

When he answered, Pam's frantic voice spewed into his ear. "Something's wrong with my child!" Freddie's brow furrowed as the woman's incoherent rant reached him.

"Ms. Puckett, slow down. What's going on?"

"I don't know. I know I wasn't supposed to, but I called Sam. She was doing something, I don't know what, and the next thing I know she's screaming and I'm hearing punches or something." His hand moved down to his stomach and he turned to the door.

"I don't understand. Sam said she was going to stay in the hotel."

The woman began to fidget and stutter, which was greatly concerning to him. "Nora…I think, maybe, yes it was Nora." A chill shot down his spine and he took a step back, examining the hotel door closely. If _Nora_ had her, then his fear had come true. He had to find her. "Sam mentioned her name, but that's about all I know."

"Why come to me? Why not the police?"

"I don't know, you seemed like an investigator or something. I'm on probation and not supposed to be in contact with either of my children, you think they're going to listen to me? Just find my daughter-I might not be the greatest mother but I don't want anything bad to happen to her."

"Relax, Ms. Puckett. I'll find your daughter." Any other person, or situation, and he'd be excited about the possibility of this being his first actual investigative case. "Do you know anything? Voices, sounds, or did Sam mention any surroundings?"

"Let me think." Pam paused for a few minutes as Freddie leaned up alongside the door. It was cracked, much to his surprise. "I know I heard a man's voice along with a woman, someone was fighting. Sam asked where you were, I think she was led into thinking you were in some sort of trouble."

"How-" It was always possible for Nevel to come up with a way to manipulate vocal levels and use his voice, but Freddie couldn't be sure that was what transpired. "Okay, just let me do my work. I promise you, I won't let anything happen to her."

"Thank you. I know I've been a shitty mother, I just-I've got problems, and I know I might never see my children again…" Her voice shook with each word, and a sob took him by surprise. "But at least let that be their decision."

Hanging up phone, Freddie pushed it into his pocket and hooked his thumb around his belt. "Sam went looking for me, but I've no idea where she is. I'll need to look around for clues, see if anyone might have seen her." He opened the door with a gentle push and furrowed his brow when he spotted a maid cleaning up the room. "No wonder it was cracked."

The maid turned her head over her shoulder and pressed her lips together. "Good afternoon, sir, can I help you?"

"Yes, this is my friend's room. Sam sent me to grab something." His eyes darted to Sam's purse. Seeing it was a good clue for him, since the purse was something Sam was never without. _"She was definitely in a hurry."_

"I'll step right out, then, sir."

"Thank you." As the maid walked by him, his eyes drifted to the laptop on the bed. He opened the computer with care and studied the screen that appeared, it was a Skype group conversation with Cat and Sam. Both were offline now, and neither left an indication of what had been discussed. "Conversation ended nearly an hour ago." He leaned back and glanced to the ceiling. "Hang in there, Sam, I won't let anything happen to you."

It had to be as Pam suggested, Sam would not have confronted Nora unless she thought someone she cared about was in danger. Freddie's eyes closed and he relaxed his muscles, breathing out with a heavy breath. "Give me some of your skills, Dad…"

* * *

Well Pam, got something going there, though sacrificing her probation. Don't get killed Freddie. As someone said, Sam will bring you to life only to kill you again, and then Carly shall do the same. XD. One thing, Pam alerted him before Nora and them could call him and prepare, so a trap won't truly be ready


	16. A Regular Gumshoe

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 16 (A Regular Gumshoe)

"Have you seen this girl?" Freddie showed the hotel manager a photo of Sam, expecting the man to have seen her running through. When the man shook his head, Freddie's heart sank a bit.

A woman nearby leaned over and Freddie waited as she studied the picture. "Hey, that's the girl that ran into me. I was about to lodge a complaint." Freddie turned to the woman and scratched his chin. "About an hour ago she ran out of the hotel room and practically shoved me aside to get the elevator."

"She was in a hurry, then?" The woman fidgeted with a floral arrangement on her hat, then exhaled sharply. "Was she meeting anybody at the time?"

"No. Why?"

"She's missing." The woman's mouth formed an oval and her eyes darted to a nearby busboy. Freddie followed her gaze and the short man waved to him.

"He was in the elevator at the time, I think. You could ask him for information."

"Thank you." Freddie hurried to the man and showed him the photo. "Have you seen this girl?" As the man studied the photo a wrinkle formed between his eyebrows and the corners of his lips sank down.

"I have. She was frantic on the elevator, saying how she needed to get down to the warehouse district." The man raised an eyebrow and looked up to Freddie. "I don't see why anyone would wanna go there. It hasn't been touched since the police cleared out the criminals some time ago."

Freddie thanked the man and started for the front door, breathing a slow intake of air. "There's always some dirt left over for a bug to come crawling out. You can never truly be rid of the mob." Clearly Nora's push to revive it was proof that even the lowest scum could rise up, but if Freddie nipped it in the bud now, there was less chance of the Seattle Mafia coming back powerful. "I guess I ought to avenge my father in the process of getting Sam out of there."

At this point he didn't know what they wanted with her. All things considered, Sam had nothing to do with the mob, but neither did Carly. Perhaps Nora had been making promises she wasn't about to keep."

En route to the warehouse district, Freddie made a few phone calls to the police. There'd been a voice in the back of his head telling him not to make the same mistake as his father, not to go in without knowing the cops were on their way.

Still, he wasn't going to wait for them to show. His blood already boiled from the thoughts of what the group might have done to Sam, and he didn't want to give them any further chance to harm her.

"Which warehouse is it, though?" He couldn't remember the warehouse he found in Nevel's notes, and there were at least three or four warehouses for him to check. "If only I had a better clue."

He parked alongside a curb and stared outside. His elbow hung loosely as he studied the ground. A nearby patch of grass was covered in overgrown weeds, but amid this chaotic state was a small trail of grass that had been pressed down.

On a hunch, Freddie pushed open the door and walked towards the grass. Each spot that had been pressed down was round and long, resembling that of a shoe print. He stood upright and looked straight across, using his hand as a visor to block the sunlight from his eyes.

There was a slight chance these footprints belonged to Sam, or one of the three he was tailing. This left him torn between whether to follow or look elsewhere. "Footprints are better than nothing. Sam could have tracked through the grass, but if she was in a haste, I'm not sure she would have done so on purpose."

The impressions were spaced about two feet apart, significant for a runner or someone with a wide stride. "I wonder if I could find tire treads, she would have had to come by way of a taxi." It would certainly help him decide which warehouse she might have gone to.

As he crossed the pathway, he heard a metallic rustling nearby and for a moment regretted not bringing some sort of protection. When he saw a homeless man digging through a trashcan, his body relaxed and he turned his mouth up to a smile.

"Thought you were someone else, sir." The man shot up and turned to him, his eyes widened and he began trembling. "Are you alright?"

"Just not used to all the people in this part of town," the man replied with a lisp in his voice and heavy emphasis on the letter 'S'. "First those three people always driving through town, then that pretty dame, and now you. This here's my territory!" He furrowed his brow and focused on the people the man spoke of. If lucky, he may have seen Sam come by.

"Dame? Can you describe her? You don't see many people, I take." The man struggled to straighten his hunched figure and quickly scratched his head.

"She was about your height, had long blonde hair and was running through the streets like a bat from hell." Instinctively, Freddie removed the photo and showed it to the man. The man scratched at his chin, then at the stubble on his left cheek. "Yeah that's her. Didn't know what a looker like her was doing in these here parts, maybe belongs to that strange guy."

"What do you mean?"

"One of the ones coming in here is always bringing these women with him, but they're usually hanging on him like they got nothin' better to do."

"Yeah." He pocketed the photo and rolled his tongue along the ridges on the roof of his mouth. "Some of them probably don't."

"You don't suppose that girl runnin' through here was with him, do you?"

"No sir. That man is dangerous. The girl is missing, and he may have taken her." The man's eyebrows rose and Freddie looked towards a warehouse in the distance. "I need to know if you've seen what building she might have gone in."

"I may have." The man leaned against the trashcan, propping his elbow over the edge and curving up his lips. "What do I get for tellin' you?" Freddie pulled his wallet out with a heavy sigh and flattened his mouth into a line across his face. He had little time for these shenanigans.

"Buy yourself something nice." He removed a fifty that he'd been saving up and held it up as the man's eyes grew large. "But you tell me if you've seen anything. If it's something insignificant, you're not getting anything."

"No, no, I've seen something!" The man leaned forward and motioned to another warehouse on a nearby street. "The fish factory on Smith. I seen her go towards that." He ran the name of the street through his mind and felt a shiver run along his spine.

_Smith and Grayson_, as listed in Nevel's notes, was where the hideout was. Furthermore, after finding his father's old journal, he remembered that building being mentioned again

Freddie shook himself and slowly handed the man the money. "Go…invest in Fila Co or something-I hear they're doing well." The man held the money to his face, rubbing it against his cheek before laughing and dancing away

Making his way to the warehouse, Freddie was sure to let his contacts in the police department know where to look. His only hope was they show up before anything bad happened.

"I could walk right into danger." He recalled both Fuzzles the snake and Jaws the dog, then shuddered. "It would be my luck." Before touching the door, he tried to glance into the dusty brown windows, but all he could see was darkness. "Shit, how do I know they're not expecting me?"

They may not expect him to know Sam was in here, so it was unlikely for them to expect him.

There was a monotonous beeping above him, drawing his eyes. When he saw a shiny camera, he paled. "Shit. Of course Nevel would put in a camera system." Beside the doorknob was a yellow speaker, another clear addition. "Yet another modern system-but I'm not about to try speaking into-"

"Hello Freddie." Nora's voice rattled him and drew his widening gaze to the speaker. "You're a regular investigator just like that gumshoe of a father you had. You're early, we were getting ready to call you and let you know about Sam."

Freddie's eyes narrowed further and he turned to face the camera, glaring into it with great animosity. "Her mother called." A pause says she didn't know, which was satisfying to him.

"Mother? Now how would that woman know anything?"

"She was on the phone with Sam." His fists tightened and a lump formed in his throat. "I know all about your plans, Nora. I know of your involvement in the mafia. I'm here to stop you from harming anybody else."

"Then come on in, I've got a little surprise for you."

Freddie faced the door and lifted his right leg, then he shoved it into the door, forcing it open. "I was already coming, bitch."

A shuffling sound stopped him in the doorway. He peered ahead and gasped out upon seeing Gibby rushing for him. "Shit!" He dodged to the right, pressing his back against the wall and watching as Gibby shot out of the building and twisted around. "The fuck, Nora?"

"That's not the surprise, that's just a greeting."

"Shit!" He swung into the building, then felt himself being shoved forward. The railing dug into his midsection and he grabbed the rail with his hands in an attempt to push himself up. Gibby's hand planted on the back of his head and shoved it forward.

"Look, Benson," Gibby shouted. Down below were two cylinders, one was cloaked and the other held Sam in it. His heart stopped as Sam watched him and banged hard on the walls of her prison.

He flipped himself over and reached up for Gibby's shoulder. Gibby moved his hands to Freddie's throat, clamping tightly on his circulation of air.

His teeth clenched as he looked into Gibby's eyes. "Why?" He choked on his word, and struggled to get any more out.

"Why what, Freddie? Why would I work for Nora? Simple, she's paying me and giving me something I want."

"You honestly think you can trust her? She's a manipulative witch! She's only using you."

"Fuck you." Freddie was lifted from the rail, then slammed back onto it. He let out a shout and tensed his shoulders.

"Do you really think she's going to give you anything! You're the one that stopped her first plan, you're the one that ruined everything for her. You think she's going to just forget that, Gibby?" His eyes shot open as Gibby's hands loosened. The man cracked his neck and scowled down at him. "Are you so blinded by your hatred of Sam that you can't see that? I'm only surprised she hasn't gone after Guppy!"

"Shut up!" Freddie braced himself as Gibby's right hand moved to his side. He was thrown into the air and fell hard on the metal floor. He flipped onto his back and tried crawling towards the steps while watching Gibby approach him. "Don't you fucking bring my brother into this."

"Nora doesn't care about you, she doesn't care about Nevel either. She'll just kill you later. Hell, Nevel's the reason she failed to get Sam last time!" Gibby stopped and curled his lip into a smirk that made Freddie's blood thin.

"You read all our letters and notes, you think we didn't know? That said, you ought to realize that whole thing was planned."

"Fine! What are you going to do, kill her? You're going to kill Sam?"

"No, just scare her. You're the one that's going to die, Freddie. Though, Nora may have use for Sam in the mafia-maybe she'll make her an associate. A girl like that can fight well."

Gibby grabbed at Freddie's chest. Freddie grasped Gibby's wrists and hissed at him. "She'd never join you."

"Willingly, you're right." His eyes widened as Gibby pulled him up from the ground. He looked down with a scream as his feet drifted in the air. "You forget Nevel's on our side, and he's already been tampering with mind control." Freddie's eyes shot into Gibby's and terror overtook him like a shadow in the dark. "Now come and we'll off you a reprieve, Nora doesn't want me to kill you outright."

"She's already controlling you, see? She only wants you to do what she wants, the minute you step out of line or she has no more use for her, do you really think she'll just let you go free?"

Gibby rolled his eyes and stepped over the stairs. "See you on ground floor, Benson."

"Wha-" He kicked his feet and glanced down, screaming aloud when he saw the stairs descending below him. "You wouldn't."

"Think about it for a minute. Do you really think I wouldn't, at this point?"

"Shit!" Gibby released him and he fell backwards, screaming as his body thumped against the stairs and rolled along them. Each step he hit felt like a knife stabbing his body, with each step wounding him more than the last.

He landed face down on the ground and trembled as the soreness in him spread through him like a plague. A groan descended from his lips as his head rose from the ground. His eyes darted to the tube where Sam was, her palms were pressed against the walls and her lips were moving. "Sam?" Standing at a machine were Nora and Nevel, both watching with a deadly smile.

"Good to see you," Nora remarked, "I'm sure you want to hear her voice one last time, so Nevel? Do the honors." Freddie felt himself yanked to his feet and looked over to Gibby. The man's hands moved to his arms, locking them in place at his sides.

Nevel struck a button on the machine, causing a square flap to open on the cylinder. It was just above Sam's head, so she leaned up to speak. "Freddie, just run!"

"Kind of can't…" He felt a tug at his heart when he studied her fully. She had a split lip and a heavy bruise had spread over her right cheekbone. Anger swirled inside of him and he snapped his glare to Gibby. "What the fuck did you do to her."

"Shut up." Gibby smacked him in the head, worsening the still present pain. "Nora's about to offer you a chance to let Sam go free."

"What?"

Sam's eyes widened and she fell back against the tube, "W-What?" Her body shook as her gaze fell onto Nora. Nora walked to the second cylinder and set her hand on the cloak.

"You've a choice to make," Nora smirked, "But at limited time. I want you to know that I can be nice, I can give you a chance." She looked at Gibby, her eyes glinting in the dim light from the windows above. "Release him, Gibby."

"But-"

"I said release him." Gibby moved his hands away with a mutter and sneered as Freddie shrugged his shoulders and pulled from the man. Freddie sneered at Nora, prepared to attack her, but he knew better than that. She wouldn't order Gibby to let him go if she didn't have something planned for the possibility of him lashing out at her.

"What's this 'choice', Dershlit? Of course I want you to release Sam!"

"Oh I'd think about that for a minute. You might not be thinking the same when you see who's under door number two." Nora pulled the cloak down and Sam screamed out in surprise.

"Freddie!" Marissa's voice caused his heart to drop into his stomach. The woman was standing with her hands over the open flap and her pained, misty gaze pulled at him. "Freddie, honey, they got me after my shift was over at the hospital. I'm sorry."

Nora clapped her hands together and stepped forward, standing between the two cylinders but in front of them. "Oh Freddie, whatever will you do? Do you send your mother home to survive, or do you free the woman you love? One choice, can't free both." Nora's lips curved into a dangerous smirk and her eyes fell halfway. "You only get one mother, but don't worry Freddie…knowing you, you'd find another woman to love, even if you were with Samantha. Face it, everyone knows you'll cheat eventually."

* * *

Nora's an evil witch with her own agenda, there's a gun in that desk and Freddie is unarmed. Can it get worse? It can...


	17. Twisted Minds

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 17 (Twisted Minds)

"Release them." He flared his nostrils and growled at Nora. "Release them both right now!" He wasn't settling for just one, not when it came to Sam and his mother. "How do you think I could make a decision like that?"

"Well, we couldn't very well reach Carly, now could we? And you were able to resist Gibby's girlfriend when in the apartment." Freddie's eyes widened as Nora walked to the side. "We planted her because we knew you'd try and snoop around his place. We wanted to see if she could tempt you, but she wasn't able…a surprise, really."

Sam called out in response, bashing her fist on the tube. "You bitch!" Nora turned to her and spread her arms out.

"You should be happy! All three of us were sure he'd go in and fuck the airhead and deviate from the task." Nora lowered her left hand and ran her right through her hair, exhaling sharply as Sam sunk into seated position. "At least that way Gibby would be able to catch him and bring him in then, and we wouldn't have to resort to this bullshit."

"You have to appreciate the man's will and devotion." Nevel crossed his arms and shook his head. "But for someone so smart, he couldn't see that we were purposely leading him into this trap." Sam's head shot up and Marissa cried out. Freddie pressed his lips together and took one step forward, resisting the urge to jump Nevel. "Of course, he figured out Sam was missing before we could use her as a lure, so I'll give him that. Right Nora?"

"That much, sure." Nora hunched over the machine, grasping the edges firmly and turning her head sideways to glare over her shoulder. "It's because of your dumbass father that the mob disintegrated. Now I have to rebuild, and my first job is going to be putting you in an early grave. You should accept my offer to release one of these two, Freddie. Really you're sacrificing your life for them."

"You'll release them _both_, Nora!"

"I cannot do that, and you are taking far too long." He watched anxiously as Nora slammed her fist down on another button. His eyes darted to the tubes and his body froze when water spewed like a shower over both Sam and Marissa.

Sam jumped to her feet and screamed aloud. Freddie ran forward, but Gibby grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back. "Don't waste time," Gibby remarked, "You don't want to be too late to decide who you want to live, do you?"

"You'll die regardless," Nevel stated. The boy tugged on his shirt cuffs and motioned to the monitor and keyboard on the machine. "You can save them, but you can only save one before the tubes fill with water. Both are protected with a secure code that you'll have to hack and break in order to stop."

"No!" He dropped to his knees and looked to the women. His heart pounded heavily as the women watched the water surrounding the bottom of their feet. This was no easy choice, he didn't want his mother to die because of this and he didn't want to lose Sam.

"Freddie." Marissa sputtered and swept her hand over her face in a rash attempt to keep the water from her eyes. He lifted his head and Nora slowly looked over to the woman. "Freddie, you know I love you so much. I know where I'm going, you have to save Sam." He frowned as Sam looked over, her eyes widened and she protested in an instant.

"No! Ms. Benson don't ask him to do that. I don't want him to let you die because of me." Nora's head fell and Nevel leaned over, whispering that they should have waited until he could nab Carly. "Nora's right, Freddie only has one momma."

"Samantha." Marissa smiled warmly at the girl and turned towards her. "You and I, and Freddie, know that I don't have long to live." Freddie watched Nora's hand slide to a drawer and open it. Nevel's jaw dropped open and Gibby's brow furrowed. "I'm dying of liver failure. Sam, he loves you-with all of his heart he loves you. You make him happy, and that makes me happy. Even if I die now, I'll be happy knowing that my son will live on with someone he cares about."

"But…" Sam bowed her head and she closed her eyes. "This isn't fair."

"I would gladly give my life for you, Sam. For you and Freddie, to survive, the both of you." Freddie swallowed his pain and clenched his eyes shut, trying to conceal the burning tears forming at his eyelids. "I don't want to survive this only to die in a few months, knowing that my survival caused your death."

"Nobody asked for your opinion," Nora growled, "You do not get to make his decision." Freddie's body grew hot as Nora grabbed something in the drawer. "Why did no one tell me this woman was already dying!"

"We didn't know," Nevel replied. There was a sad tone in his voice, and a flicker of fear in the eyes. Freddie didn't know what it was the man saw, but the venom in Nora's tone filled him with fear.

"Then she's useless."

"Nora, come on, you said you wouldn't."

"What's going on over there?" Gibby stepped past Freddie, but stopped as Nora shot him a violent glare. "Nora, what's in that drawer?"

"Plan B." Nora removed her hand and revealed the pistol she was holding. The sight of the weapon paralyzed Freddie. Time moved slowly as he watched Nora's gun point and fire at the tubes. Smoke billowed from the weapon and the sound of shattering glass tore Freddie apart.

"No!" Sam let out a panicked scream as Marissa's tube was splattered with blood. The woman jerked back against the cylinder and her hand moved to her abdomen. She sank down in seated position and started to cough, spewing blood from her lips.

"Mother!" Freddie rushed over to the tube. Gibby and Nevel remained in place, staring at Marissa with looks of terror. "Mom, it's going to be okay."

"Yes," Marissa coughed, "It will be now." Freddie set his forehead against the glass, trembling with a vicious sob as his mother exhaled slowly.

Nora returned the weapon to the drawer and huffed. "If she's already dying, why not kill her now." Freddie slammed his fist on the tube. Beside him, Sam dropped to her knees, her mouth hung open and her wide eyes remained still as shocked tears fled from them and moved down her cheeks.

"Don't cry over me." He opened his eyes and lifted his eyes to his mother. "You're strong, like your father, and I know you'll make it out of this." Marissa's lips curved into a smile that incited great pain in him. "Look at it this way baby, Nora's given me a release…I don't have to suffer from the pain of organ failure, and I can die knowing you'll make the right choice. Get Samantha out, and live your life, Freddie…That is all I can ask that you do."

"It shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't have to be this way."

"My son has become so strong…" He bowed his head, still trembling from the sorrow and anger that threatened to destroy him. "I'm so proud of you. You've become the man I hoped you'd become, but even more."

"Mom, please."

"Look at me." He wiped his eyes and moved them slowly to his mother's. She was drenched with water and sweat and was breathing heavily, but there was a strong smile on her face and a peaceful look in her eyes. "Both of you." Sam glanced over from her prison and a wrinkle formed on her forehead. "Freddie, I know you'll make it. All I wanted was to die knowing that you would live, that you could be happy, and I know…I know you will do just that."

"Mom."

"Don't you waste your tears on me, Freddie. You don't have much longer. I only have one thing-" She coughed once more and strained herself to speak. "My last wish to make me happy."

"What? Mom, what is it?"

"Save-" She took a deep breath and lifted her hand, pointing to Sam's container. He followed her gesture and paled when he saw the water level just above Sam's waist. "Hurry…"

Marissa's gasp echoed throughout the warehouse and her hand fell back into the water with a deafening splash. Freddie's gaze shot back to his mother and he let out a loud wail.

The reddened water rose above Marissa's peaceful expression and the hand that covered her wound drifted away as her body sunk further.

Sam cried out to him, her voice tore through the silence and called him to her. She had both her hands planted firmly on the sides of the tube and was looking down at the water that was rapidly rising on her.

"Shit." He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and rushed over to the machine, pushing Nora aside. He took one last glance at his mom before turning to the monitor. He wasn't going to lose both of them. "Alright Sam, hang in there."

He glanced back to Sam and watched as the flap closed on Sam's tube. His heart broke when he saw the water rising just at the bottom of her breasts. "How do I hack Nevel's own system?"

Typing on the screen brought Sam's container up. There was a code that needed to be entered in order to enter the program that would stop the water's flow, but that program itself would need a code as well.

Behind him, Gibby and Nevel were beginning to return to life, stammering at Nora. "Y-You said you weren't going to kill her," Gibby remarked. "You were just going to get Freddie focused on rescuing them-you were only going to lock them up. I don't understand."

"Only Freddie was going to die here," Nevel stuttered. "Even if Sam was targeted, you weren't going to kill Ms. Benson."

Freddie paid little attention to the comments and kept entering in a variety of codes. He was in a frenzied state and would continually look to check on Sam. The water level's rise only furthered his anxiety and rush to figure out the codes. "Come on, come on, come on!" He typed in every possible outcome for a five digit code, cursing under his breath each time it came up with a 'failed' notice.

"You both are true idiots," Nora remarked in cold reply. She swept her hair over her shoulder and turned to them. "You think I wouldn't kill anyone that knows my plan?"

"You were only going to hold them hostage," Gibby moved towards her, pointing with fury at her. "Ransom. You said ransom! Ms. Benson was going to be held so that her boss would be forced to work with the mafia. Sam was going to be held so her father would fund the mafia and release her parents."

"What?" Nevel shook his head and turned to Gibby. "I've never heard anything about the man. Who the hell is he?" Nora moved her hands to her waist and rolled her eyes. Gibby lowered his hand and glanced to him.

"Sam rarely spoke of him but one time years ago. She talked about him with Carly, I was just in the room-he ran off with some woman and became a powerful politician in Congress. He's a very wealthy man, he could have Nora's parents released and send a great deal of money-" He turned to Nora and cleared his throat. "I thought that was your plan. Then Carly? Carly's brother would provide legal assistance to the mafia for exchange of her safety…wasn't that it?"

Freddie turned his head over his shoulder, shocked at the description of Sam's father. Now wasn't the time for all of this. After finally discovering the first code for Nevel's program he checked on Sam.

She was now dog paddling at the surface of the water and kicking her feet, struggling to stay above. He clenched his teeth and returned to the monitor, typing furiously as Nora spoke her poisonous treason.

* * *

Nora's definitely out for herself, but now you see the true depths of her plan, forcing hostage situations in which powerful figures would have to aid in helping her to rebuild the Seattle Mafia.


	18. Splitting Hearts

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 18 (Splitting Hearts)

"You boys really are pathetic, aren't you?" Nora chuckled darkly and turned to Gibby, sweeping her hand sensually along his jaw. "Don't worry, I still plan the ransoms. Even after Sam's death, we'll just tell her father she's alive and force him to play along. As long as he believes his family is in our custody, he's no choice to provide funding for as long as I have control."

"So you lied to us?"

"Lied?" Nora looked into Gibby's eyes and leaned close, standing on her toes and slicking her tongue along her lips. "I never lied, I remained in control. I used you. Whatever means necessary to an end, Gibson. Or did you really think I forgave you for your first interference on my plans?" Gibby's eyes widened as Nora pulled away from him. "If not for you, the Seattle Mafia would already be reborn."

"You mean…"

"That's right. You fucked up my plans, but I needed someone that the iCarly kids could trust." Nevel took a step back, trembling as Nora and Gibby stared each other down. "So I came to you, played with your tiny mind and told you I could get Sam for you. Just like I told Nevel that he'd have payback as Carly's entire world was shattered."

"But you're still doing that," Nevel muttered, "You're still going after her right?"

"Oh of course. You'll always have a place in the mafia, Nevel." Nora pressed up against Gibby's chest and trailed her fingers up along his body. "But for Gibby? My use for you is over-Freddie was correct."

"What?" Gibby's voice lowered to a whisper and his eyebrows slid inwards. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that now that I have Sam right where I want her, as well as Freddie, I can get Carly without you. Your usage has expired, so with that said, you will die as your old friends will."

"Bitch!" Gibby shoved her forward, forcing her to the ground. Nora threw her head up as he charged her, his loud yell startled Freddie. "I'll kill you myself."

"Oh you're going to betray me now? Is that truly wise?" Nora planted her palms on the ground and kicked her leg out, striking Gibby's ankle and forcing him to the ground.

She began to push herself up, but Gibby grabbed her by the hair and yanked her down to the ground. He slammed his fist down and she swept her knee up into his groin.

As the fight continued, Freddie was doing battle internally. The water had risen to the point that the top of Sam's head was at the top of the cylinder. She was making an attempt to slow the water pressure by putting her head in the water's entrance, but it kept pushing her back.

"Survive, we have to survive." His heart sank as the newest code failed him. "How the fuck do I do this!" His voice broke as yet another code failed. Nevel hurried beside him and he looked up, flaring his nostrils. "If you try to stop me, I swear to fuck I will pull that gun out of the drawer and put a bullet in your brain for this!"

"Relax, I'm helping you." He paused for a split second as Nevel turned to look at the fight. "She turned on Gibby, she'd do the same to me if we ever got Carly I'm sure. Helping her isn't worth it, I was wrong."

There was a sincerity in Nevel's eyes, one he never thought he'd see. "Fine then. What do I do?" He looked back to the tube and screamed when he saw Sam beneath the water. Her arms and legs were moving slowly and her cheeks were puffed up as her eyes gazed out at him. "Sam, no! God!"

"Move aside!" Nevel pushed him back and struck the button to lower the flap, which caused the water to pour out.

Seeing this, Nora let out a violent scream and started to rush towards them. Gibby rose up behind him and grabbed the back of her shirt. "I don't think so." He started pulling her to the pit, preparing to throw her into the grinder. Nora sucked in the air through her teeth and swung her arm around, bringing it crashing down onto Gibby's wrist.

"You die now," she hissed. His eyes widened as she kicked his chest. Falling back, he grabbed her ankle and pulled her with him.

Freddie winced upon hearing the grinder below crunching down on Gibby's bones. His former best friend's scream echoed and shook the walls of the foundation. "Freddie, focus," Nevel muttered. "You saw the failsafe in my notes didn't you?"

"What?"

"Goddamn it." Nevel moved to the monitor and began typing. Freddie recognized the number now that he saw it. Once Nevel struck the enter key, the water stopped flowing.

Behind him he heard someone grunt. He started to pale when he turned and saw two hands hanging onto the edge of the pit. "N-No…" Nora slowly pulled herself up, her eyes were filled with fire and her mouth was twisted into a murderous scowl.

"I'll tear you apart for this, Nevel! You and Freddie both!"

"Helping you was a mistake!" Nevel shouted while striking another button. Freddie darted for the tube as it opened. Sam fell out with the water and Freddie reached forward, catching her before she hit the ground.

He dropped to his knees and looked over to see Nora advancing upon Nevel. Freddie held his breath as Nevel grabbed the gun from the drawer and aimed it at her. She stopped in place and laughed. "Go ahead Nevel. Shoot if you're going to. Or, you could just turn that gun onto Freddie over there…Kill him, and I'll forgive you for this little bit of treachery."

"Oh?" Nevel's eyes narrowed and the corners of his lips fell into a frown. "Like you 'forgave' Gibby?"

"He didn't commit treason. I had no use for him-you now that. But you? Your brilliant mind, I need that. Together, we can revive the mafia and make it stronger than ever before. Nobody can ever tear down the mafia with my leadership and your intelligence."

"Is that so?" Nevel tilted his head to the right and started to chuckle. "You expect me to believe that?"

Nora spread her arms out and a smile stretched across her face. "Would I truly dispose of someone so useful as you?" Nevel's eyebrow rose and he looked over to Freddie.

Freddie glanced at Sam while running his hand through her hair. "Come on Sam." She was pale, her eyes were closed and her chest wasn't rising. "Please." Seeing the danger, he laid her down on her back and started to administer CPR. It was the one thing that his mother taught him which he actually paid attention to.

"Shoot him now," Nora remarked, "Shoot him now and let the Seattle Mafia rise once more."

"Gibby was useful." Nevel turned back to Nora and sneered. She lowered her arms and sighed heavily. "And you betrayed him. So no, I don't think you wouldn't do the same to me. Unlike Gibby, I have some smarts."

"Come on, Nev-" A gunshot echoed in the room and Freddie quickly glanced over while counting the chest compressions in his mind.

Nora stumbled backwards, her hand covered a wound above her heart. "I…" She continued to back up and stopped on the edge of the pit to look down at the blood seeping between her fingers. "Well. Shit."

She tilted her head back and dropped her hands to her sides. Nevel fired another shot, hitting her in the center of her forehead. Her body fell back, and once more, the air filled with the sickening sound of bones being crushed in the grinder's teeth below.

Doing his best to ignore the disgust inside, he leaned down to give two more rescue breaths to Sam. The color looked to be fading fast from her body. Tears drenched his cheeks as he counted out thirty more chest compressions. "Come on Sam, please. Don't leave me now."

Two more rescue breaths. He watched to see if her chest would rise from the breaths, then went to continue the compressions.

"I'll do anything. I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I ever hurt you. I'm sorry that I made you feel less than you are. I can't lose you, I can't." He felt Nevel's hand on his shoulder, then collapsed onto Sam's chest, folding his arms over underneath his face and weeping bitterly. "I…I was too late."

"I'm sorry," Nevel whispered, "Truly." There was no further energy left for anger or hatred, only the grief and guilt that now overtook him. "If I only knew…she played us all for fools."

"I wish." He turned his eyes to Sam's face and scrunched his forehead. "I wish Nora had killed me instead." His chest ached and throbbed as he caressed the girl's cheek.

"I know. I'm truly sorry for my part in all this."

"It doesn't matter now. Nothing matters. I can't…I can't feel anything right now." He leaned forward, gazing down at Sam's tender face and lips. Even in this state, she looked warm. "I've done nothing but let her down over the years-her and Carly both, but still…"

"Did she know you loved her?"

"I don't know if she wanted to believe that, or if she could bring herself to trust it. I wanted to show her-I'm a different man than I was. I do love her, I always will." His tears fell onto Sam's plump lips and he closed his eyes, lowering himself to kiss her one last time.

"Freddie?" He felt a movement as Nevel watched Sam's chest jump. His eyes opened as water splashed onto him and Sam opened her eyes, coughing violently. He leaned back, astonished as she sat up.

"Sam!" Tears filled her eyes as she looked over to him, relieving him of his grief. Her eyes softened and she fell forward into his chest. Her arms moved around him, clutching him tight as she wept. Her body against his brought a feeling he hadn't felt in so long, and it ignited his heartbeat once more.

"So cold," she whimpered, "I'm so cold." He held her shivering body close to him and looked up as the police finally entered the warehouse with the paramedics. One of paramedics spotted the two and called outside for a blanket. "Freddie?"

"Yes, Sam?"

"I…love you too. Don't let me go, please. Please don't."

"I won't."

"Don't leave me."

"I won't. I'm right here." She nestled close to him as the paramedics draped a heavy blanket around their bodies. He turned his head to his mother's tube and curled his eyebrows together as Nevel helped the paramedics open the container. The woman's eyes were still open, but gazing at Freddie and Sam with a strange joy. Her lips still held a proud smile. He turned back to Sam and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise you that, and you can hold me to it."

* * *

Gibby and Nevel truly gave a fight. There's a couple chapters left, but the danger is over.


	19. All in Due Time

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 19 (All in Due Time)

Freddie sat beside Sam at the hospital where they kept her overnight for observation. This was about three days. There they tended to his injuries as well. Sam's hands folded over the top of the hospital blanket and held it up to her chin. Her eyes were open and watching Freddie as he ran his hand through her hair. "Hey Freddie?" Her voice was soft and quiet, to the point he had to lean forward to hear her. "You know I was in a state of shock after I got out of that tube?"

"Yes."

"I may have said some things." He chuckled to himself as Sam's eyes darted away. "Anyway, thank you for being here and for being there. I-" She paused, breathing in sharply and clenching her eyes shut. "I'm sorry about your mom. I can't, I couldn't sleep last night…every time I close my eyes, I see them-and I see her." Sam's forehead folded and creased as she shook her head.

"It's okay." He brushed his fingers along her forehead and watched as she relaxed and opened halfway. Marissa was missed, but Freddie felt good knowing that she was still with them in spirit and that Sam was alive. "I'm glad you're here, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"Your mom didn't deserve it. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair." She was taking it hard, almost as hard as he was. It was understandable given the circumstances. A tear ran down the side of her face as she breathed in through her nostrils. "Why did they do it? Your mom, my mother?"

Pam had caught trouble with her probation officer for having called Sam. Despite that she had a hand in saving her daughter's life, she would have to have a hearing before the judge to discuss the terms of her violation. "I guess they wanted the best for their children?" It was difficult for him to understand the sacrifice each mother made, and while he was thankful, he hated what it led to.

For him, Marissa was right in the sense it would easier for him to cope with her loss than Sam's. She had one foot in the grave as it had been, and Sam had her entire life ahead of her.

"I guess one way to look at it is that she's with Dad now and happier for it. Her last wish was that I get you out of there, she said she'd be happy just knowing we both survived. So maybe…maybe she is with us right now."

"If you believe in spirits." Sam looked to the right and brought her hand up to rub her nose. Freddie smiled sadly as her shoulders and chest fell. "I don't know if it was a dream or if it was real, but I saw her. Your dad too, I think…"

"What do you mean?"

"When you were performing CPR, I guess." Her eyes drifted to him and her expression grew heavy. "I was dead." He knew that much, there was no doubt in his mind that she was gone, and that was something he wanted to forget. "I saw your mom, your dad, standing together. They told me I couldn't die yet, and I woke up. I don't know if it was a dream or not…"

"Maybe it was a dream, maybe it wasn't. The important thing is you're here, you're alive, and I'm not going to let anything like that happen to you again if I can help it." Sam's lips curved into a smile and she reached for his hand, grasping it gently and squeezing.

"You said Nora wanted to use us for ransom?"

"Yeah. Spencer, your dad, and apparently mom's boss. They wanted to force them to help aid and launch the revival of Seattle's mafia. Gibby…died trying to fight Nora, and Nevel killed her. She turned on them, so they turned on her." Sam swallowed and glanced away.

"It all seems so surreal, like one big nightmare."

"I know." He gave her hand a squeeze and smiled as her eyes drifted back to his. "You never told me your dad was a congressman in DC."

"Right." She scoffed and shifted her body to the left. "He abandoned us and wouldn't even pay child support. When mom went to ask him for help, we were just girls at the time, he turned us away like we were some penniless beggar."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He's too good and too proud to acknowledge me, so I try not to acknowledge him. I only wonder what he'd say about his daughter going through all this." She uncurled her fingers from his hand and pulled her hand away. "I don't want his pity, and I don't want his money. He can take his mansion in the hills and his pompous ass family and he can shove them up his ass."

"Why didn't he ever want to accept you?"

"Melanie and I are the children of a former stripper. He and mom married for a short period of time before he dumped her and left us. Once he went into politics, of course having us in his life would be too bad for his image."

"Sounds like a terrible father to have." Thinking about it made his stomach spin with bile. A change in subject sounded to be a great idea for him. "I hope you know I'd never do that to you."

"It's easy to say that."

"What do you want me to do to show you that I'm sincere?"

"I don't know." She shrugged and slowly sat up. He put a hand to her back for support and helped her lean against the headboard. "Just be here for me, there's nothing else you can do." Her shoulders sank and her eyes drifted to the sides. "Forgive me for not falling madly in love with you just because you saved my life."

He laughed, remembering what happened with Carly. It was a terrible feeling knowing that it had only been a case of hero worship, so he was thankful for Sam's remark. "Oh don't be. I prefer it this way, actually. It feels more-"

"Real?" Her eyes darted over to him, then to the door in front of her. She folded her arms over her stomach and winced. "God, why am I still in so much pain? It's been like what? Two? Three days?"

"You know they had to take out your appendix."

"Yeah." She rolled her eyes and groaned. "Fuck you Gibby. Thanks for trying to stop Nora, but thanks for nothing. Your damn fault I was stuck there. May you enjoy it in Hell." Freddie frowned as she swept her hand through her hair and sighed heavily. "I know I shouldn't say things like that-"

"You're hurting and you're healing, you're entitled to be angry." Her lips turned up and she looked towards him for a minute before swaying into him. "How are you?" Sam put her head to his shoulder and sighed.

"Don't ask stupid questions, you know how I'm doing and it's not well." He nodded with understanding, watching Sam as she took slow and easy breaths. "At this point I wish it was just a truck you pulled me out of the way of."

He furrowed his brow and pondered why she was hung up on the time he kept Carly from getting injured. "That was a long time ago, Sam."

"Forgive me." She lifted her hand and dropped it on her side. "I happen to hate being a damsel in distress type, so I thought maybe if I could think about someone else that was one, it wouldn't feel so bad."

"Just because you were beaten one time doesn't make you a damsel nor does it make you weak." Her eyebrows rose and she turned her head to gaze at him.

"Really?"

"Of course. You're the strongest woman I know." He looked into her trembling eyes and lifted his hand, tucking a finger just beneath her chin. "Everyone has an off day, and you had yours. It doesn't mean you're weak or a damsel."

"I guess I shouldn't be so hard on myself."

"Not at all."

"Yeah…" She turned her head onto her side and closed her eyes. "Maybe…after I've calmed down a little from all this, we can grab a drink or something. Go on a date?"

"You sure you want that?"

"I want to, and this is just me talking-not the person whose life you just saved." He rolled his eyes and smiled at her.

"Good, because that's the person I want to take out." Sam's arms wrapped around his and she leaned further into him, relaxing herself with a gentle sigh. He let her remain there and drifted his gaze to the door, waiting as silence overtook them. "I think I'll do that…"

"Do what?"

"Go to the University of California in LA. What do you think?"

Sam's shoulders rose and fell while her eyes remained close. "If you do, can you get in sooner? I really am uneasy with long distance relationships." The closest he would be able to would be the summer.

"I've already been accepted, but if I moved onto campus in the summer, I'd have to take a class."

"I'm fine with that." Her eyes opened and she teased him with a smirk. "If you really wanted, you could move in with Robbie." Freddie's eyes widened and he leaned back, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Tell me you're joking."

"I'm joking." She nestled her head back into the crook of his neck. "Though that girl in the witness protection-Trina, I hear her boyfriend's putting out flyers for a roommate."

"Her boyfriend?"

"Sinjin or something. Probably be cheaper than the campus apartments and he's already graduated so he's working on getting a master's and needs a roommate. I think the campus housing requires you to have a class in order to remain there."

"It is something to consider." If it meant being closer to her when she needed him, then he would consider it greatly. Nobody was immune to traumas, and that meant that even Sam would likely suffer from PTSD and nightmares. He already was, half the time he woke up in the middle of night afraid that Sam hadn't survived.

"If you can give me this Sinjin's number, I'd love to talk to the guy and see if his offer would be better than campus housing."

"I'll call Cat when I get a chance, see if she can get Tori or Trina to give her the guy's number." She paused and lifted her head. "Wait, is it safe for me to say her name? Nora's dead, so I guess there's no danger. I wish we could do something for her, but there's nothing to do."

"You realize that if she is in witness protection, that's probably not even her real name. Who knows if the girl has extended family somewhere, it's not really important to worry about. I'm just glad you're safe."

"Yeah. I'm glad you're okay too." Sam smiled at him, then dropped her eyes to his chest. "One thing, though. Whenever you come down and meet my roommate. Again."

"Yes?" He hesitated as Sam paused for an extended period. It hadn't quite crossed his mind about whether or not there'd be any resentments or hostility left in regards to Cat.

"Well. She trusts you less than I do, so don't be shocked if you see her and she doesn't talk to you. She'll come around eventually-if what you say is true and you are genuine, she'll see it."

"Well. I hope more that you'll see it, but that's all in time, I imagine. For now, let's just rest." She sank back into her bed and folded her hands over her waist, nodding slowly.

"I can agree to that. Still want to get the hell out of this hospital…" She looked to the metal tray beside her and scowled at the plate on it. "I might love food, but hospital food tastes like shit."

* * *

The next chapter is the last. There could be a potential sequel in the works, but it'll likely be some time. I need to finish other stories.


	20. Goodbye to the Past

Trifecta

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 20 (Goodbye to the Past)

"Hey Spence!" Freddie made his way to the paralegal's desk with a proud smirk on his face. A month had passed by and he wanted to pay Spencer one last visit before hitting the airport.

Spencer was behind a newspaper once more, but it was an old paper. On the back was the article about how Freddie's dad had a role in Seattle's fall. "Freddie." Spencer's curt reply fell out as quickly as his breath. "What brings you here now? My sister already told me something about Sam mentioning your moving to LA." He laughed while Spencer turned the page of the newspaper.

"Don't worry. I'll be out of your hair soon enough." He snapped his fingers and turned sideways towards the doors. "Man I hate to leave this town, but Sam wants me to be down there, and I want to be there for her."

"Just treat her well, and you'll do fine." Spencer's fingers tightened on the page and he let out a gruff grunt. "You did a good thing, stopping Nora's plans. I'm glad they didn't go after my sister."

This was the biggest compliment he was getting from the man, so Freddie had no plans to press him. "Was knowing us really so bad, Spence? We had good times, and we did good things for each other." His gaze remained focused on the doors and his fingers slowly curled into his palm. "I'm sorry you feel like those years were so miserable."

"I don't feel like they were miserable, I just feel like I made a lot of mistakes and can't go back. The more I have to deal with you, the more I'm reminded of my mistakes and separation from both my father and my sister."

"Well if there was _anything_ I could do to keep that scowl on your face from becoming permanent…" His eyebrows rose as a tall and busty brunette with a long purple dress and long, smooth legs entered through the doors. She had a soft, round face and long hair that seemed to poof in the top and the middle. "By the way, I did a little bit of a side investigation this last month, I thought you should know."

"Sweet Jesus." Freddie glanced quickly to Spencer, watching with amusement as the man let go of the paper and reached around for his coffee mug. "Tell me this doesn't involve me again. You're moving, right?"

"Picture this, the scene is a Gamestop off Main Street in a town just ten minutes south of Seattle. The suspect, or in your case, thief, is the store manager." As the woman approached, the three attorneys looked to her from their desks, then at each other with concern.

"Thief, Freddie? What of mine has been stolen? I am not your client, either."

"You never hired me, but yes you're a client, and your heart was stolen."

"My what-" Spencer closed the newspaper, his eyebrows were dipped down in the middle and his narrow eyes glanced up to Freddie. His mouth was curled into a scowl. "Freddie if there is any…" His voice trailed off just as his eyes landed on the woman. The man's eyes widened and his lips separated to release the air in his lungs. "Sasha?"

Freddie crossed his arms and deepened his smirk. Spencer's shoulders fell and he slowly stood up, sliding his fingers off the desk and letting his arms fall to his sides. "You said the one woman you ever loved, you didn't know where she went and you lost touch with her. Seems she's been looking for you too, but since you started working here you fell off the radar."

"I don't…believe…" Spencer swallowed as Sasha walked around the desk, sliding her palms across the edge. She reached up and grabbed the top of his tie, then pulled him towards her.

"What?" She turned her head up and slanted her eyes. "Did you lose my number? Work for some powerful attorneys and decide you were too good for a gamer chick like me?"

"What? No! Exactly the opposite, I thought you were too good! I thought having no job and a useless hobby was going to drive you away, so-"

"So you ended it before talking to me?"

"I-" He dropped his head, his chest expanded slowly and his hair fell out of its neatly groomed fashion. "Just another stupid mistake. I'm sorry." Spencer lifted his head and turned his lips up. "I am going on lunch soon, about twenty minutes, there's a café across the street-"

"I'll be there, and I expect you to be there. We're going to have a little talk about communication. If I don't see you there, I'll know it's over."

Spencer stuttered over his words and cleared his throat. "I'll be there!" Sasha released his tie and smirked into his eyes.

"Good." Her hands slid onto his shoulders and her lips parted briefly. "I'll hold you to that, but as a promise…" She stood on her tows and leaned forward, kissing him on the corner of his lips. Spencer's eyes widened and the familiar goofy grin stretched onto his face.

Freddie whistled softly and turned to walk back to the doors, stopping beside the female attorney's desk. He looked to Ms. Keith and signaled her with a thumbs-up. "Thanks for letting that happen." The woman shrugged and moved her head to the papers.

"I don't make a habit of personal visits at the office, but in this case I don't mind making an exception." She cleared her throat and snapped her fingers at Spencer. "Mr. Shay, go ahead and take an early lunch. All of your reports are in, it's a slow day, there's nothing we need from you right now." Spencer practically fell over at his boss's words, stammering while the other two attorneys shook their heads.

A sense of pride licked at Freddie's heels as he walked out of the building with his head held high and his chest puffed up. "Well. It looks like my work here is done."

In Los Angeles, Freddie had reached out to the person Sam told him about for an off-campus housing. Sinjin. The man confirmed it would be cheaper and he wouldn't have to be required to take a class, though he would need a job.

"So your girlfriend put a word in to her father for me?" Freddie sat back in the recliner and looked to the man. Sinjin was a thin, somewhat lanky figure but had the legs of a biker and the eyes of a knowledgeable man. His hair was short and curly, and his eyes were shielded by thin framed glasses.

Sinjin stood in front of his study, holding a textbook on Russian history. "Technically the man isn't her father, just the officer that oversaw her protection in the witness program." He closed the book and made his way to the couch. "I should be at her place right now."

"Yeah, thanks for helping me find the place. You don't have to stick around and help me unpack or anything." Sinjin already gave him the tour of the apartment, so anything he needed, he could just call the man. "Does she need you over there or something?"

"Well she's moving too. Tori and her friends are throwing a shit fit for some reason." He raised an eyebrow, curious about what was happening. "Since Nora isn't a threat anymore, Trina's allowed to contact her extended relatives. Turns out she has an Aunt that lives here in California, so she wants to stay with her while she finishes school and gets her career started."

"Oh. She's what, twenty-two?"

"Twenty-one."

"Why does anyone care if she moves?"

Sinjin shrugged and swept his hand through his hair. "Just as surprising to me, I guess Tori wants her to keep in touch or something and she doesn't really want to. You know, they're not her family and whatnot, she only knew them a few years and they're a reminder of what Nora did, a result of Nora's crimes, so I don't think she wants anything more to do with them."

"Oh." It made sense, he would probably feel the same way if he were in the woman's shoes.

The doorbell rang and Sinjin moved to answer it. Freddie glanced over with a smile as Sam and Cat made their way inside. "Wanted to check out the new digs," Sam remarked while throwing herself onto the end of the couch next to Freddie. "So, you already know Cat. Cat, you know Freddie."

"Yep," Cat replied with a curt tone that reminded him of Spencer's disdain. He chuckled softly while Sam rolled her eyes. "I'll be watching you, Freddie. Just so you know."

"You and Carly both, I'm sure."

Sinjin grabbed his hat and turned to the group. "Damn, I've never seen Cat talk like that. What's the story there, Benson? Anything I need to be aware of?"

"Nah, it's a long story. I'm sure you don't have time to get into it."

Sinjin checked his watch and muttered to himself. "Yeah I really don't." Freddie turned around to him and flashed an appreciative smile.

"Thanks for the opportunity for the room by the way, and tell your girlfriend thanks for putting a word in to that officer for me. I'd love to work with the police department."

"No problem. Yeah, since Courtney moved up to Seattle, I needed someone to help out."

"Your sister's in Seattle now?"

"Yep, our mom's a lawyer up there, finally decided to take an interest in our lives so Courtney went up and I'm staying behind." From the tense look on Sinjin's face, it appeared Sinjin was the one that wanted nothing to do with the mother. Perhaps Courtney did want to get to know the woman.

It seemed yet another long story, and Freddie did not want to keep him any longer. He waved the man off and faced Sam once Sinjin left. "So."

Sam curled her legs up on the couch and leaned over the armrest, gazing into his eyes with a smile. "So?"

"How have you been?"

"Better. Still have some nightmares here and there, but I'm better." This was good news. He also had to struggle with his share of nightmares and flashbacks, but they couldn't have been as bad as what Sam went through. "I can't stand being confined in small spaces anymore, though…"

"Understandable." He curled his fingers through her hair and watched as she closed her eyes and leaned into the caress. "So, when would you like to go on a date?"

"Anytime, Freddie. We could head out right now, even."

"Sounds good."

Sam looked to the television and shook her head. "No more thinking about Seattle. I hear the mafia started up again-strange considering Nora's death should have ended that. Nevel's in prison, right?"

"Yep."

"You don't think…" The air began to grow tense around them as Sam connected her gaze with his. It was said once of the mafia, as long as there was one person left standing, an organization could regrow. What were the odds that Nevel might have jumpstarted the Seattle Mafia? "His uncle was part of it, right? The consigliere that was going to betray the mob."

She quieted into a deafening silence. Freddie closed his eyes and chuckled softly. "No, I don't think there's a thing to worry about. Besides, we're here now, we're together. Let's enjoy this." Her lips curved up and she leapt onto her feet.

"Right. Seattle is a thing of the past now…The world will keep going, everyone else is, so we should to." Moving on would be difficult, but it was doable. Now was the time to say goodbye to Seattle and goodbye to the past. It would remain in memories and lessons for the future, a part of their lives regardless, but not a thing to dwell upon any longer.

* * *

So Freddie found Sasha, maybe she can get him out of the rut he seems to be in. That's it, the story is over, so thanks to all that followed along, it was remarkable, so I'll probably have to dip my feet back into the iCarly fandom, who knows. But first, time to finish other works. THank you again, I'm grateful for all of your input and thoughts. This started out a bit experimental, and I'm glad to see the fandom once more.


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